UNEASY QUIET REIGNS IN MALAYA

Wanganui Chronicle, 24 June 1948, Page 5

UNEASY QUIET REIGNS IN MALAYA

Communists Said To Have Gone Into Hills To Prepare Next Phase

(N.Z.P. A.—Reuter—Copyright) Received 10.5 p.m. SINGAPORE. June 23 An uneasy quiet reigned over most of Malaya this morning, with the exception of patrol clashes in the Ipoh area. A gun battle is reported to be going on near Bidor, about 40 miles south of Ipoh, where a police patrol located a Chinese Communist gang.

A bullet today grazed the head of Mr. C. F. Pierrepout. a member of the Johore Executive Council, and manager of an estate in Johore, when an armed gang fired on his car. A police constable beside him was wounded. Well-informed circles believe the most dangerous Communists have escaped the recent countrywide roundup and have retired to the hills. The lull is due to their organisation of the Malayan People’s anti-British army, and preparations for the next phase of the struggle. At the same time Government deployment of troops and police continues. Members of the Royal Air Force regiment have taken up garrison duties in the northern-

most State of Kedah and the southernmost State of Johore. According to "Straits Times” a deputation of Selangor planters yesterday asked the High Commissioner of the Federation of Malay (Sir Edward Gent) to "direct immediate action on a military scale,” and, if necessary, to call on London for military reinforcements. The paper adds that it is understood Sir Edward Gent asked the Governor of Singapore (Sir Franklin Gimson) to make available to the Federation of Singapore a garrison of about two battalions of British troops. It is believed that the emergency powers at present applying only to the Federation will be shortly extended to Singapore, which is becoming “the bolthole” for Communist refugees.