Kept in position: The Labour Front-Alliance Government of Chief Minister David Marshall in Singapore, April 1955 - June 1956

Journal of Southeast Asian Studies

Volumn 35, Issue 1, 2004, Pages 41-64

  Low, James ^a  

^a SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING   (Singapore)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

GOVERNMENT; POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT; POLITICAL HISTORY; POLITICAL REFORM;

ASIA; EURASIA; SINGAPORE [SOUTHEAST ASIA]; SOUTHEAST ASIA;

EID: 33751301212     PISSN: 00224634     EISSN: 14740680     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1017/S0022463404000037     Document Type: Article

References (167)

1. Population statistics are from Colony of Singapore annual report, 1955 [henceforth SAR] (Singapore: Government Printing Office, 1956), pp. 11, 24, 30.
2. Constance M. Turnbull, A history of Singapore, 1819-1988 (Singapore: Oxford University Press, 1989);
3. Yeo Kim Wah, Political development in Singapore, 1945-1955 (Singapore: Singapore University Press, 1973);
4. Yeo Kim Wah and Albert Lau, 'From colonialism to independence', in A history of Singapore, Ed. Ernest Chew and Edwin Lee (Singapore: Oxford University Press, 1991), pp. 117-53;
5. and David Marshall, Singapore's struggle for nationhood, 1945-1959 (Singapore: University Education Press, 1971).
6. Richard Clutterbuck, Riot and revolution in Singapore and Malaya, 1945-1963 (London: Faber and Faber, 1973)
7. and Lee Ting Hui, The open united front: The communist struggle in Singapore, 1954-1966 (Singapore: South Seas Society, 1996).
8. John Drysdale, Singapore: Struggle for success (Singapore: Times Books International, 1984);
9. Dennis Bloodworth, The tiger and the Trojan horse (Singapore: Times Books International, 1986);
10. and Robert S. Milne and Diane Mauzy, Singapore: The legacy of Lee Kuan Yew (Sydney: Allen and Unwin, 1986).
11. Lee Kuan Yew, The Singapore story: Memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew (Singapore: Singapore Press Holdings, 1998);
12. F rancis Thomas, Memoirs of a migrant (Singapore: University Education Press, 1972);
13. Lim Yew Hock, Reflections (Kuala Lumpur: Pustaka Antara, 1986);
14. and Gerald de Cruz, Rojak rebel: Memoirs of a Singapore maverick (Singapore: Times, 1993).
15. Alex Josey, David Marshall's political interlude (Singapore: Eastern University Press, 1982);
16. David Marshall, Letters from Mao's China, ed. Michael Leifer (Singapore: Singapore Heritage Society, 1996);
17. Albert Lau, 'The Colonial Office and the Singapore Merdeka Mission, 23 April to 15 May 1956', Journal of the South Seas Society, 49 (1994): 104-22;
18. Chan Heng Chee, A sensation of independence: A political biography of David Marshall, 2nd edn (Singapore: Times Books International, 2001), p. x.
19. See also Yeo Kim Wah, 'David Marshall: The rewards and shortcomings of a political biography', Journal of Southeast Asian Studies [henceforth JSEAS], 16, 2 (1985): 304-21;
20. Chan Heng Chee, 'A rejoinder to Yeo Kim Wah's review article "David Marshall: The rewards and shortcomings of a political biography"', JSEAS, 17, 1 (1986): 171-3;
21. Yeo Kim Wah, 'A reply', JSEAS, 17, 1 (1986): 173-4.
22. Bloodworth, Tiger, p. 118
23. and Yeo, Political development, p. 64.
24. Lee Ting Hui, Open united front, p. 79;
25. Turnbull, History, pp. 255-6;
26. and Drysdale, Singapore, p. 117 (see also pp. 114-15).
27. Yeo, Political development, p. 85;
28. Turnbull concurs with this assessment (History, p. 256).
29. Yeo, 'David Marshall', p. 309;
30. Drysdale, Singapore, p. 126.
31. Clutterbuck, Riot, pp. 288-9, 301-13;
32. Bloodworth, Tiger, pp. 333-45;
33. Drysdale, Singapore, pp. 99-147, 443-9 (the only exception is footnote 6 on pp. 99-100);
34. Yeo, Political development, pp. 150, 168, 247, 296.
35. Yeo's footnote 46 (p. 151) cites Nanyang Siang Pau but, as it is not listed in the bibliography - which contains no Chinese sources - it is probably repeated from the Digest of vernacular press.
36. The Straits Times [henceforth ST], 16 May 1955;
37. Singapore Standard [henceforth SS], 16 May 1955;
38. ST, 23 May 1955;
39. emphasis added. 13 In 1955, Chinese amounted to 77 per cent of the total population. An estimated 10 per cent of these were literate in English and 29 per cent in Chinese;
40. SAR, p. 11.
41. 'There is no listing of any files from the Chief Minister in the holdings of our National Archives';
42. Kwa Chong Guan, 'The value of oral testimony', Oral history in Southeast Asia, ed. Lim Pui Huen et al. (Singapore: National Archives of Singapore, 1998), pp. 26-7.
43. Chung Shing Jit Poh was owned by the Kuomintang; Chui Kwei Chian [Singapore's Chinese press] (Singapore: Haitian Wenhua Qiye, 1993), pp. 156-77; Wong Hong Teng 1945-1959 [A study of the editorials of Chinese dailies in Singapore, 1945-1959] (Singapore: NUS Department of Chinese Studies, 1995), pp. 35-6.
44. Ibid., p. 10.
45. Turnbull, History, pp. 236-7;
46. Yeo and Lau, 'Colonialism to independence', p. 127.
47. On the 1946 constitution, see Albert Lau, The Malayan Union controversy, 1942-48 (Singapore: Oxford University Press, 1991), p. 92.
48. Marshall, Singapore's struggle, p. 6.
49. Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore story, pp. 160-1, 177-81.
50. The criticism of the constitution is in David Marshall, 'I believe', ST, 31 Oct. 1954
51. Quoted in Constance M. Turnbull, Dateline Singapore: 150 years of the Straits Times (Singapore: Singapore Press Holdings, 1995), p. 199. Nicoll's predictions are in Public Record Office (PRO), Colonial Office (CO), Governor, Singapore to John Martin, Assistant Undersecretary, 14 Mar. 1955, CO 1030/318, no. 5.
52. Dennis J. Duncanson, interviewed by Lim How Seng, 10 Mar. 1986, National Archives of Singapore (MAS), A000642/07/05.
53. Chan, Sensation, pp. 97-8.
54. Both quotations are from 'Monthly Emergency and political report' (MEPR), 15 Mar.-15 Apr. 1955, CO 1030/247, no. 280.
55. Marshall's comments are in Singapore Legislative Assembly Debates (SLAD) 1, 2 (26 Apr. 1955), col. 35.
56. ST, NYSP, SCJP, 19 Apr 1955.
57. William Goode, Chief Secretary, in SLAD 1, 4 (16 May 1955), col. 175-94.
58. Daily Mirror and Sydney Sun, 12 Apr. 1955, David Marshall Papers (DMP), folio 9 (held at Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore).
59. Nicoll to Alan Lennox-Boyd, Secretary of State, telegram no. 7, 28 Apr. 1955, CO 1030/232, no. 113.
60. SCJP, 28 Apr. 1955;
61. see also NYSP, 29 Apr. 1955, 3 May 1955;
62. SCJP, 5 May 1955.
63. ST, 2 May 1955;
64. see also ST and SS, 3, 4, 7, 11, 12 May 1955. The comment on the use of force is from British Defence Co-ordination Committee, Far East (BDCC) to Chiefs of Staff (COS), Ministry of Defence (MOD), London, 5 May 1955, CO 968/458, no. 87.
65. Nicoll to Lennox-Boyd, despatch no. 7, 21 May 1955, CO 1030/366, no. 86. His reference to having 'warned' the SLF is in Nicoll to A. M. Mackintosh, Assistant Secretary, 16 May 1955, CO 1030/235, no. 3. For an example of reaction from the Chinese press, see SCJP, 12 May 1955.
66. Nicoll to Mackintosh, 16 May 1955, CO 1030/235, no. 3. His suggestion to use British troops is mentioned in Marshall, Singapore's struggle, p. 8. This meeting should have occurred on 12 May because British troops were deployed, despite Marshall's refusal to sanction it, after the riots on 13 May; see the comment in Commanders-in-Chief Committee, Far East (CICFE) to COS Committee, 19 May 1955, CO 968/458, no. 106, that 'it was the presence of British troops which stabilised the situation on Friday [13 May] last'.
67. CICFE to COS Committee, 19 May 1955, CO 1030/458, no. 106.
68. Ibid.;
69. on the absence of troops in Singapore, see BDCC to COS, 5 May 1955, CO 968/458, no. 87. The comment on the Emergency is in ST, 14 May 1955.
70. Frank Wisner, Deputy Director of Plans, Central Intelligence Agency to Rockefeller, Special Assistant to the President, 1 June 1955, US Department of State Central Files, 100.4-OCB/6-656, reproduced in Foreign relations of the United States, 1955-57 [henceforth FRUS], vol. XXII, Southeast Asia (Washington: GPO, 1989), p. 736. The initial estimate was for one infantry battalion and one armour squadron; this was amended to three battalions and one armour squadron, and eventually to six and two respectively. On these estimates see CICFE to COS Committee, 19 May 1955, CO 1030/458, no. 106; BDCC to COS, 5 May 1955, CO 1030/458, no. 87; General N. G. D. Brownjohn, Vice-Chief of Imperial General Staff, MOD, to Anthony Eden, Prime Minister, 27 July 1955, PRO, Cabinet [henceforth CAB] 21/4532; Brief for Secretary of State for Air and Chief of Air Staff, 26 July 1955, PRO, Air Ministry [henceforth AIR] 19/623; and extract from minutes of DC(55)7th Meeting held on 28 July 1955, AIR 19/623, no. 2.
71. Joint Intelligence Committee, Colonial intelligence and security report, 23 Mar. 1955, CAB 158/20.
72. Nicoll to Lennox-Boyd, telegram no. 20, 14 May 1955, CO 1030/366, no. 130; ST, 16 May 1955. On Marshall's offer to resign, see Nicoll to Lennox-Boyd, telegram no. 19, 14 May 1955, CO 1030/235, no. 186.
73. Nicoll to Mackintosh, 16 May 1955, CO 1030/235, no. 3.
74. Quoted in Sharifah Samirah bte Syed Mohd, 'Hock Lee bus riot: No end to a conflict' (Academic exercise, National Institute of Education, 1997), p. 74;
75. the Chinese newspaper quotations are in SCJP, 16 May 1955 (first great test)
76. and NYSP, 16 May 1955 (victory).
77. Marshall, SLAD 1, 5 (25 May 1955), col. 258.
78. Soon Loh Boon, in 'Riding the tiger: The urban tiger', video recording, produced by Joan Chee, first telecast on Channel NewsAsia, 13 Mar. 2000.
79. Nicoll to Lennox-Boyd, telegram no. 27, 21 May 1955, CO 1030/360, no. 72.
80. Quoted in Sharifah Samirah, 'Hock Lee', p. 75;
81. NYSP, 19 May 1955 (testimony) and SC/P, 19 May 1955 (sympathy).
82. See also NKSP and SCJP, 23, 24 May 1955.
83. Lennox-Boyd to Eden, 24 May 1955, CO 1030/366, no. 113.
84. Nicoll to Lennox-Boyd, telegram no. 34, 30 May 1955, CO 1030/366, no. 96.
85. Foreign Office (FO) to Certain of Her Majesty's Representatives, 24 June 1955, CO 1030/235, no. 4. Marshall's sentiments are in Marshall to Gerald de Cruz, 14 June 1955, DMP, folio 16.
86. Singapore, The Singapore Colony Order in Council, 1955 (Singapore: GPO, 1955), p. 57; Black's reservations are in Governor, Singapore, to Lennox-Boyd, despatch no. 46, 26 Sept. 1955, CO 1030/290, no. 36.
87. The 'top-heavy' criticism is in ST and SS, 12 July 1955; the expression of support is from SCJP, 12 July 1955. Tamil Murasu is quoted in
88. Yeo, 'David Marshall', pp. 309-10.
89. Thomas to Marshall, 5 July and 8 July 1955, both in DMP, folio 9.
90. Black to Lennox-Boyd, despatch no. 46, 26 Sept. 1955, CO 1030/290, no. 36.
91. Yeo, 'David Marshall', p. 309 (deliberately created) and Drysdale, Singapore, p. 126 (Machiavellian crisis).
92. Lau, 'Colonial Office', p. 105.
93. Marshall, SLAD 1, 7, col. 404.
94. ST, 19 Aug. 1955.
95. Black to Lennox-Boyd, despatch no. 46, 26 Sept. 1955, CO 1030/290, no. 36. London's dissatisfaction with Marshall is mentioned in Black to Mackintosh, 15 July 1955, CO 1030/259, no. 271. The quotation on fears over his departure is from Turnbull, History, p. 256;
96. the 'gauntlet of resignation' is from Drysdale, Singapore, pp. 126-7.
97. Selwyn Lloyd, Minister for Defence, to Eden, 8 Aug. 1955, CAB 21/4532.
98. SCJP, 15 Sept. 1955 (harvest);
99. ST, 14 Sept. 1955 (triumph);
100. SS, 16 Sept. 1955 (sunshine);
101. SFP, 21 Sept. 1955 (success).
102. Black to Lennox-Boyd, inward telegram no. 123, 29 Sept. 1955, DO 35/6077, no. 1.
103. Lennox-Boyd, outward telegram no. 129, 8 Oct. 1955, DO 35/6077, no. 5.
104. Black to Lennox-Boyd, saving no. 49, 4 Oct. 1955, CO 1030/291, no. 79. Only NYSP adjusted its initial opposition to accept 'political and economic stability' (14 Oct. 1955). The English press naturally supported the PPSO;
105. see STand SS coverage for 21, 22, 24 Sept.
106. Lord Reading, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, 'Political situation in Singapore and Malaya', 24 Oct. 1955, FO 371/11641, no. 76.
107. Marshall to de Cruz, 14 June 1955, DMP, folio 16.
108. J. M. Jumabhoy, interviewed by Helen Choo, 21 Nov. 1981, NAS, A000112/08/05.
109. Quoted in Chan, Sensation, p. 166.
110. Between April-October 1955, the SLF collected only 50 per cent of the subscriptions due; this revenue did not even cover the $1,000 monthly operating expenditure. The treasury was so depleted that despite donations amounting to $5,602, a further $3,000 loan was undertaken on top of an existing debt of $2,143 incurred at the election. See SLF statement of income and expenditure from 1 Apr. 1955 to 31 Oct. 1955, Labour Front Records (LFR), lot 8, no. 2 (held in National University of Singapore Library);
111. Report of the SLF Executive Committee, Aug. 1954 to Oct. 1955 and Report of the Finance Committee to SLF Conference, October 1955, DMP, folio 21.
112. Yeo, 'David Marshall', p. 309
113. and Yeo, Political development, p. 116.
114. On Lee Choon Eng see Thomas to Marshall, 5 July 1955, DMP, folio 9 and Lee to Thomas, 31 Oct. 1955, LFR, lot 9, folio 7.
115. R. Jumabhoy, interviewed by Lim How Seng, 14 Dec. 1981, NAS, A000074/37/19.
116. Black to Lennox-Boyd, saving no. 68, 3 Dec. 1955, CO 1030/291, no. 60.
117. Black to Lennox-Boyd, despatch no. 71, 6 Dec. 1955, CO 1030/290, no. 20.
118. ST, 7 Dec. 1955.
119. Black to Lennox-Boyd, saving no. 24, 1 Feb. 1956, CO 1030/291, no. 31.
120. MEPR, 15 Dec. 1956 to 15 Jan. 1956, CO 1030/247, no. 17. For Lim's views, see SCJP and NYSP, 21-22 Dec. 1955; Sembawang Division, Minutes of the extra-ordinary meeting held at 7.30 p.m. on 19 Dec. 1955, LFR, lot 9, no. 20; Thomas to Treasurer, 1 Feb. 1956, LFR, lot 8, no. 2; Minutes of the Central Committee Meeting held at Party HQ on 6 Feb. 1956, LFR, lot 6, no. 14. and Black to Mackintosh, 31 Jan. 1956, CO 1030/235, no. 117.
121. Lennox-Boyd to Eden, 5 Jan 1956, CO 1030/236, no. 24.
122. Ibid.
123. Mackintosh to Black, 17 Jan. 1956, CO 1030/290, no. 14.
124. Black to Mackintosh, 9 Nov. 1955, CO 1030/80, no. 49.
125. Kenneth Young, Director, Officer of Philippine and Southeast Asian Affairs, US State Dept., to Walter Robertson, Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs, 17 Feb. 1956, US State Dept., Central Files, 746F.00/2-656, in FRUS, p. 765.
126. CP(56)85, Memorandum, Secretary of State for the Colonies to Cabinet, 23 Mar. 1956, CO 1030/120, no. 150.
127. R. Scott, Commissioner-General, South East Asia, quoted in Drysdale, Singapore, p. 134. Britain was a member of SEATO (South East Asia Treaty Organisation) and ANZAM (Australia, New Zealand and British Malaya defence arrangement). The UK was being evicted from its bases in Egypt and Ceylon while insurgencies were endangering bases in Cyprus and Aden; BDCC to COS, SEACOS 61, 19 Mar. 1956, PRO, Defence [henceforth DEFE] 7/503, no. 1.
128. CP(56)85, Colonial Secretary to Cabinet, 23 Mar. 1956, CO 1030/120, no. 150.
129. Robert Menzies, Prime Minister, Australia, to Eden, 27 Mar. 1956, CO 1030/120, no. 188; Robertson to John Foster Duties, US Secretary of State, 30 Mar. 1956, US State Dept, Central Files, 746F.00/3-3056, in FRUS, p. 770. On British readiness see COS Committee, COS(56)123, 'The immediate repercussions in Singapore of a failure in the London Talks next month', 26 Mar. 1956, DEFE 7/503, no. 8.
130. Black to Lennox-Boyd, saving no. 41, 9 Mar. 1956, CO 1030/291, no. 19.
131. Thomas, Memoirs, p. 102.
132. Black to Martin, 3 Apr. 1956, CO 1030/120, no. 143.
133. The Cabinet position is in Thomas Lloyd to Saville Garner, Commonwealth Relations Office (CRO), 9 Apr. 1956, CO 1030/120, no. 157; for Whitehall's statement, see Martin to W. D. Allen, PRO, Foreign Office (FO), 14 Apr. 1956, CO 1030/120, no. 88. Lennox-Boyd's remark is in Cabinet, Extract from CM(56)29th conclusions of a meeting, 17 Apr. 1956, AIR 19/623.
134. The Singapore constitutional conference: Presented by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to Parliament by command of Her Majesty, May 1956 (henceforth Constitutional Conference) (London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1956), Appendixes 4A, 4B, CO 1030/161, no. 32.
135. Walter Monckton, Minister for Defence, to Eden, 7 May 1956, CO 1030/121, no. 203; CRO to High Commissioners in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Ceylon, outward telegram no. 82, 5 May 1956, CO 1030/121, no. 42. The Cabinet's position is in Lennox-Boyd to Goode, outward telegram no. 128, 5 May 1956, CO 1030/121, no. 44.
136. Lennox-Boyd to Goode, outward telegram no. 131, 8 May 1956, CO 1030/121, no. 35.
137. Public Relations, Singapore, Press statement MY28/56, 'Text of special message broadcast to the people of Singapore by the Chief Minister', David Marshall, 5 May 1956, CO 1030/121, no. 192. See also ST and SS, 23 and 27 Apr. 1956.
138. Lennox-Boyd to Goode, outward telegram no. 134, 9 May 1956, CO 1030/121, no. 197.
139. Lennox-Boyd to Goode, outward telegram no. 138, 12 May 1956, CO 1030/121, no. 139.
140. Constitutional Conference, Appendix 9, CO 1030/161, no. 32.
141. Chan, Sensation, pp. 190-1 attributes this Malayan Chairman proposal to the SLF Central Council, who from Singapore relayed it to Marshall over the telephone on 14 May. Drysdale, Singapore, p. 142 said Thomas telexed the proposal to Marshall the same day. Lau, 'Colonial Office', writes that this proposal was presented by the Singapore Delegation on 15 May (p. 115).
142. However, Lennox-Boyd, Constitutional Conference, pp. 7-8, CO 1030/161, no. 32, states that Marshall circulated the idea on the 12th.
143. Drysdale, Singapore, p. 143;
144. Lee, Singapore story, p. 237 ('one step further').
145. Quoted in Chan, Sensation, p. 191.
146. His remark on 'lepers' is from Manchester Guardian, 16 May 1956, cited by Lee Kuan Yew, SLAD, 1, 32(7 June 1956), col. 2085.
147. Lennox-Boyd to Goode, outward telegrams no. 148, 17 May 1956, CO 1030/121, no. 267 ('ingenious move') and no. 149, 17 May 1956, CO 1030/121, no. 258 ('not prepared to concede').
148. Australian High Commission, London, to Australian Department of External Affairs, 18 May 1956, CRSA 816 14/301/705, no. 188. Lee's quote is in Drysdale, Singapore, p. 144. For Lennox-Boyd's comment see Lennox-Boyd to Marshall, 18 May 1956, CO 1030/121, no. 220.
149. Marshall to Lennox-Boyd, 18 May 1956, CO 1030/121, no. 219; John Hare, Minister of State for the Colonies, CO, to Marshall, 20 May 1956, CO 1030/121, no. 218.
150. Lee Siow Mong, Words cannot equal experience (Petaling Jaya: Pelanduk, 1985), p. 52. Lee, a civil servant providing secretarial support for the Singapore Delegation, accompanied Marshall home.
151. Lennox-Boyd to Black, outward telegram no. 154, 23 May 1956, CO 1030/121, no. 213. The SLF's call for his resignation is in Thomas to Marshall, 21 May 1956,
152. quoted in Chan, Sensation, p. 195.
153. ST, 17 May 1956 (see also 23 May);
154. SS, 17 May 1956 (see also 18 May);
155. SFP, 31 May 1956.
156. NYSP, 17 May 1956 (see also 30 May, 1, 5 June);
157. SCJP, 28 May 1956 (see also 5 June).
158. Secretary of State for the Colonies to the Chief Minister of Singapore, 29 May 1956, in Constitutional Conference, Appendix 10, CO 1030/161, no. 32.
159. Yeo and Lau, 'From colonialism', p. 135;
160. Turnbull, History, p. 257.
161. Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore story, p. 235.
162. Lau, 'Colonial Office', p. 117 and Drysdale, Singapore, p. 142 ('room for manoeuvre');
163. see also the discussion in Chan, Sensation, pp. 185-90.
164. The Delegation's internal problems are discussed in Turnbull, History, p. 257;
165. Drysdale, Singapore, pp. 142-3;
166. Chan, Sensation, pp. 186, 189-90.
167. Lee Kuan Yew, SLAD 1, 32, col. 2088.