Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Uncovering the Inside Story of the Struggle

Those Chinese-speaking or dialect groups devoted to the cause of communism expressed uncharacteristic anger and hatred towards me whenever I passed the halls of their trade unions or groups.Even the Chinese newspaper reporters who were on their side were sullen and sullen when they attended the press conference I held.They thought it was an act of betrayal for me to reveal the identity, methods and intentions of the communists.But I think their attitude proves that my exposure is effective. On July 30, 1961, 13 MPs who broke away from the People's Action Party announced the formation of the Socialist Front.Their purpose is exactly the same as that of the People's Action Party, which is to establish "a democratic, independent, socialist and non-communist Malaya, composed of the Federation and Singapore".Almost at the same time, a line was drawn between trade unions and trade unions.So Lim Chin Siong convened the leaders of his 83 trade unions to discuss the issue of organizing the Singapore Federation of Trade Unions.In this way, the African Republican Communists in the People's Action Party broke completely.

The most important thing now is how to show the people that the Communist Party will never be the master of Singapore's future.Only then will we be able to bring the issue of Singapore-Malaysia merger to a vote.I conclude that the vote is absolutely necessary.If Singapore is forcibly merged into Malaysia without a vote, the consequences will be unimaginable: it will simply prove that we have sold Singapore to the Malay-dominated Kuala Lumpur government. Regarding the merger issue, I would rather hold a referendum than decide through a general election, because the result of the general election cannot only decide whether to merge or not.However, in order to get the majority of Singaporeans to support the Malaysian project, I have to convince those who speak Mandarin or dialects who are sitting on the fence that we, not the Communists, are winning.We cannot let them think that we may fail, otherwise, there will be many people who vote against the merger or abstain because they are convinced that those who voted for the merger will be punished by the communists later.By the same token, if we convince the people that Merger is imminent and that the communists cannot secure a majority to block it, they will draw another inference that those who support the communists are being held back by the federal government. The danger of punishment.So I had to give the people a feeling that the wave of mergers was surging and that neither Communists nor anyone else could hold back.I believe that as long as we can convey this message, the leaders of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Chinese cultural groups and schools who speak Mandarin or dialects will definitely not follow Lim Chin Siong, or at least remain neutral.Well, they implicitly support the merge.

In order to convince the people that the establishment of Malaysia will be achieved, the surest way is to let the people understand that Lim Chin Siong, Fang Shui Shuang and the pro-communist cadres themselves know that they are fighting a losing battle, so it is best not to join their camp.In order to deepen people's impression, I think it is necessary to tell everyone the whole story, that is how the People's Action Party and the Communist Party formed a united front; Merger to Independence; Why Communists Are Doomed.In order to think about this problem well, I need a quiet environment, which is not available in Singapore.So, on the evening of August 11, I took Zhi, my three children, and my nanny to Kuala Lumpur by train, then transferred to a car to Cameron Highlands at an altitude of more than 1,600 meters, and stayed in the holiday villa "Guluni Hostel" of the Singapore government.My personal assistant, Zhang Yigui, also accompanied me.I am going to give a series of speeches through Radio Singapore to let the people know the truth of the whole thing.Each speech takes 20 to 30 minutes. The broadcast script is dictated by me, and Zhang Tugui takes notes and compiles it into a document.

a laborious affair Cameron Highlands has a cool climate, a quiet environment, and a remote place. It is a good place to get away from Singapore's political hotbed for a while.There were no telex machines, no direct-dial telephones, and regular telephones were unclear, so I left a message before I left and didn't call me unless something extremely urgent happened.This way, I can work in peace and quiet.We stayed for almost two weeks.I have also played many times on the beautiful nine-hole golf course.When I left, I had already finished the broadcast script for the eight lectures.The last four lectures had to be written in Singapore.While writing, I recorded the broadcast transcripts of the previous lectures.During the month from September 13th to October 9th, I broadcast three lectures a week, and each lecture is broadcast in three languages, two of which are Malay and Chinese.In my daily work, my application of these two languages ​​is limited to the oral level.This is indeed quite a laborious task.Once, the staff of Radio Singapore looked through the glass wall of the recording studio and was taken aback when they realized that I was not in front of the microphone.A staff member later saw me lying on my back on the floor and thought I had passed out.In fact, lying down was the best way to beat fatigue and restore energy between three-language broadcast recordings.

In these 12 lectures, I outlined the process from the founding of the People’s Action Party in 1954 to our formation of a united front with the Communist Party, and at the same time outlined the events that happened later: why the Action Party split, leading to the current fierce struggle between the two sides over the merger issue s reason.I hope to dispel suspicion in people's minds that this is a slander against communists and subversion.In fact, I admire the strength and courage that the Communists have shown for their beliefs.In one of my lecture broadcasts I said: "We have crossed the gap and reached out to the Chinese-educated masses. This is a group of young people full of vitality and revolutionary spirit. The work of the Communist Party in the past 30 years has mainly been carried out among them, and it has achieved quite a lot... Those of us who are affected The English-educated revolutionaries were latecomers who wanted to develop the same oil field. We were regarded by the Communist Party as invaders of this exclusive territory. In this group, we met Lim Chin Siong and Fang Shui Shuang, who joined the People's Action Party. We ran for election in 1955, and that started our intricate relationship with Communist underground workers in trade unions and cultural groups.

"Working with them is a novel experience. When you meet a trade union leader, you quickly decide which side he belongs to, whether he is a Communist. You can tell from his conversations and his It can be seen from his actions whether he is the central figure who has the decision-making power... I have known many such people. They are not bad people, nor are they opportunistic... Many of them are even ready to give their lives to the cause of communism. Liberty and life. They all knew that if they were found to be Communists, they risked arrest and detention. Later, during the purges of 1956 and 1957, many of them were arrested and imprisoned. I often go to prison to visit them and appeal for them. Many people have been deported to China, some of them are my friends. They think I should stand on their side. They believe that in the end I will be forced to admit, they said A democratic system called bourgeois cannot build a fair and reasonable society. At that time, I will definitely admit that what they are doing is right.

"On the other hand, I also often spend a lot of time debating with them, trying to prove to them that no matter what happens in China or the Soviet Union, we are living in Malaya after all. In this way, whether you are a communist or a democratic socialist Well, if you want to build a fair and reasonable society in Malaya, you have to make some basic decisions, such as establishing a Malayan identity, uniting Chinese, Indians and other races with Malays, To establish national unity and national allegiance, and to promote the unity of all peoples through the national language, etc."

I also explained why Malaya and Singapore cannot be separated: "Everyone knows the importance of the Federation to Singapore. The Federation is Singapore's hinterland, which produces gum and tin and enables our entrepot trade economy to function. The Federation's hinterland makes Singapore a great city. Without this economic hinterland, Singapore would not be Can survive. If there is no merger, if our two governments cannot be reunified, if our two economies cannot become one, then our economic position will slowly and gradually deteriorate, and the lives of all of us will be destroyed. It's getting more and more bitter. The original single economic development plan for Malaysia will be split into two. The Federation should have cooperated with Singapore, but it has become a competition for funds and development for industrialization, so both parties are bound to lose."

In the broadcast of the last lecture, I reiterated the following point: "In the past three months, if it hadn't been for the drought in Johor and the water shortage in Singapore, I believe that the Communist Party would have changed their course...to ask Singapore to do it on its own. Independence. The natural environment seems to warn them that their actions are ridiculous." This year, Singapore was extremely dry, with little or no rain falling since June.At the end of August, the water pressure dropped suddenly, and many factories were forced to temporarily stop working, and general hotels were also seriously affected.Our three main reservoirs are almost dry, with the bottom of Seletar reservoir covered with elephant grass.We practice water restriction, and there is only six hours of water supply every day, and the water pressure in the water pipes is pitifully low.We do not need to remind the people that Singapore was forced to surrender to Japan in 1942 because the Japanese army occupied the Johor cistern.Water control measures were implemented until the end of January of the following year before being lifted.The coincidence of this natural disaster helped to convince the people that the merger of Singapore and Malaysia was a reasonable solution to Singapore's problems.

Turn on the lights to illuminate the magic stage At that time, there was no television in Singapore, and the above-mentioned broadcasts were listened to by a large audience.At the end of the broadcast, most of the people believed that I had told them honestly about the past struggles in the party, the betrayals of the pro-communists and the plenipotentiaries.They also believed that I was realistic about the future.I tug at their heartstrings.The stories I tell are what they have just experienced themselves, with riots, strikes and boycotts fresh in their minds.I have explained many of the mysteries that have troubled them in the past.It's like a magician is performing, I suddenly ran onto the stage, turned on the lights to illuminate the dark corners that the audience didn't notice, so that the props and equipment used by the other party were exposed in front of the audience.These broadcasts had a huge impact among the people, especially for those who were educated in English.For example, Zhang Yecheng (who later became the editor-in-chief of The Straits Times), who was still young at the time, recalled:

"These radio speeches were unprecedented. It wasn't your typical political speech, it contained real experience. Even as it aired, things were happening. At the end of each broadcast, it was in the minds of the listeners It creates suspense, and they can't wait to hear the next lecture sooner, just like ordinary citizens at that time did not pay attention to Li Dasha's martial arts story when they heard Li Dasha's martial arts story in Cantonese. The storyteller was a A master, but the story is far from fiction. For Singaporeans, this is a life and death struggle." After the last lecture was broadcast on October 10, John Duclos, director of the radio broadcasting group, planned to hold 12 broadcast seminars in order to coordinate with my 12 lecture broadcasts, and invited Lim Chin Siong to participate in one of the seminars.All the people I mentioned in the broadcast, such as Lim Chin Siong, Fong Shui Shuang, Uhar, Putuchari, Dr. Lee Siew Choo, Dr. Sheng Nanjun, etc. are all invited.Duclos wrote: "Everything the Prime Minister says on the radio, if it is incorrect or defamatory, can be refuted." The next day, Lim Chin Siong and Wuhar issued a statement in the newspaper demanding The station gave them 12 broadcasts in the same amount of time, and they didn't want to confront me.I put them on the defensive. Those Chinese-speaking or dialect groups devoted to the cause of communism expressed uncharacteristic anger and hatred towards me whenever I passed the halls of their trade unions or groups.Even the Chinese newspaper reporters who were on their side were sullen and sullen when they attended the press conference I held.They thought I had exposed the identity, methods and intentions of the communists, which was an act of betrayal.But I think their attitude proves that my exposure is effective. During this period, the issue of mergers has not been without progress.The Congress of the Commonwealth of Parliament just happened to be held in Singapore with representatives from Sarawak, Brunei, North Borneo and Malaya. In a joint communiqué issued at the end of the meeting on July 24, all participants emphasized that "the federation of Malaysia is necessary and imperative".As the form and structure of this federation will require further deliberation before a final decision can be made, the participants agreed to form a Malaysian Advisory Council to ensure that the momentum for Malaysia can be maintained. Ten days later, the governments of Malaya and Singapore held a meeting in Kuala Lumpur, announcing that the two sides would seek the assistance of the United Nations to study how to establish a common market.Goh Keng Swee attended the meeting as Singapore's Minister of Finance. In August, Goh Keng Swee and I held a three-hour meeting with Tunku and Tun Razak to seek to resolve the merger conditions.The meeting was also attended by the Permanent Secretary of the Malaya Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ghachari, who is the main Malaya official in charge of the merger rules. In September, I went to Kuala Lumpur for three days to discuss with Tunku other details about the merger conditions. On my return to Singapore in mid-September I told the press: "The Merger has left the launch pad, and the latest development is that it has been put into orbit, and June 1963 is the scheduled landing date." I used the prevailing words to announce the news.The world was fascinated by the Soviet astronaut Gagarin's feat of flying into space in 1961, as well as the United States' efforts to launch a manned spacecraft into human orbit.On the financial side, I explained that under the Federal Constitution, each state devolved to the central government the power to impose customs duties, excise taxes and income taxes, but since Singapore would control matters such as education, labour, health and social services, we would Obtain a considerable percentage of tax payments to take responsibility for the above aspects.Therefore, our representation in the Federal Parliament must be adjusted, "otherwise we will have more than double the number of representatives". Du Jincai wrote to the leaders of the opposition parties in the House, asking them to express their positions on two basic issues.These two basic issues are contained in the agreement reached in principle between the two sides, that is, defense, foreign affairs and security are in the hands of the federal government in Kuala Lumpur, while education and labor policy will continue to be in the hands of the Singapore government itself. On August 29, the day Du Jincai's letter was published in the newspaper, Dr. Lee Siew Choo announced in a signed statement that the 13 Socialist Front MPs would accept: "1. Singapore and Malaya implement a comprehensive and thorough Merger, as the 12th state of the Federation of Malaya; or 2. Singapore first became an autonomous unit in the Federation of Malaya, and finally merged into the Federation of Malaya. If the method of merger is adopted, the party requires Singapore to be a constituent As a state, Singapore will be incorporated into the Federation immediately, Singapore citizens will automatically become Malaya citizens, and Singapore should have a proportionate number of representatives in the Malayan Congress. Before the merger, Singapore will hold general elections; after the merger, all of Malaya will hold general elections. If the confederacy method is adopted, the party requires Singapore to exercise complete internal self-government, internal affairs, including security, to be in charge of itself, and foreign affairs and defense to be in charge of the federal government." The Socialist Front advocated a comprehensive merger between Singapore and Malaysia, and they thought that the Tunku would definitely not agree.I am very happy with Goh Keng Swee, Rajaratnam, Du Jincai and Wang Bangwen.Far from opposing mergers, they demand closer mergers in more areas than we do.This is an ideal subject from which a referendum can formulate the question: What kind of merger do the people want? In a symposium held by the radio station shortly afterwards, Goh Keng Swee and Dr. Lee Siew Choh engaged in a fierce debate over the merger issue. This debate dashed Barisan Barisan's hopes of gaining popular support for its comprehensive merger proposal.Dr Lee claimed that under Barisan Barisan's merger plan, since Singapore had the same status as Penang and Malacca (the two Straits Settlements outside of Singapore), Singapore citizens would automatically become federal citizens.Wu Qingrui thinks this is ignorant "nonsense".In fact, only those born in Penang and Malacca will automatically become federal citizens, and everyone else has to apply for federal citizenship. Yet we are not out of the woods yet.As I explained at the press conference on October 15, although citizens born in Singapore will automatically become federal citizens, the remaining 327,000 people from China, India and even Malaya must first meet the requirements of living in the federal government. conditions and pass the language (Malay) test to become a federal citizen.The only difference is that, according to our agreement with the Tunku, all Singapore citizens will become "Federation Nationals".I hoped this arrangement would satisfy them, it was the best "special arrangement" I could get from Dongshi at that time.