The Sunday Times, May 28, 1961THE Federation Prime Minister, Tengku Abdul Rahman, said today that a plan would have to be worked out to bring Malaya, Singapore, Borneo, Brunei and Sarawak closer together in political and economic co-operation.
"Malaya today as a nation realises that she cannot stand alone and in isolation. It is inevitable that we should look ahead to this objective," he told the Foreign Correspondents Association of South East Asia in a major policy speech.
He warned however that this goal would not be achieved if the Chinese continue to think and talk of everything Chinese.
Then in one of the most passionate appeals he has yet made for national unity, the Tengku said:
"For us in Malaya, and I include Singapore in my remarks, loyalty to the Malayan ideal and way of life is fundamental.
"There can be no halfway house in loyalty. No one ever becomes happy by trying to make the best of two worlds.
"People who think they are ensuring their future by trying to be friendly with the Communists on the one hand and with the Governments of Federation and Singapore on the other are sure to end up losing one way or the other.
"We want citizens to think, feel, believe and work for the good of Malaya and look to Malaya as the sole object of their loyalty, and this, I am sure, is the desire of all in the country except for a small minority."
The Chinese in Malaya, he said, unlike their counterparts in some neighbouring countries, had no reason to be unhappy.
They were free to own property -- in fact, they owned most of the property and businesses here. The economic life of the country was largely in their hands and they shared political rights with the Malays and others.
"They should forget China," he declared. "She has her own Communist way of life and can manage her millions of people through her own form of government."
Then his voice dropped as he said: "We who are here have only our little Malaya. The Chinese, Malays and others have to make the best of our home here."
If the Chinese didn't change the Malays would be made to feel nervous of their presence as Chinese and not as Malayans.
Earlier in his speech the Tengku said it was the natural tendency of the Chinese in Singapore to try and make the island "a little China."
It would be a good thing for all concerned, he added, if the people of Singapore and the Federation could decide to make Malaya what it was -- "Malaya, our one and only home."
Calling on the local Chinese to make Malaya the sole object of their loyalty, the Tengku said they would be completely out of place in a Communist country.
The neighbouring countries were not open to them. "Those who are here must be one with the people of the country," he said.
The Tengku then warned that if Malaya were invaded by the Communists "the result will be not a local war but a global one."
"In this conflict hell will break loose and no one will be left to enjoy the fruits of communal victory, even if victory could be theirs," he said.
The Tengku, who was guest of honour of the Foreign Correspondents' Association at a luncheon, also made these points:
The Chinese themselves in the MCA had subscribed to the manifesto whereby Malay must be the national language:
It was "utterly absurd" to suggest that America and Britain were behind the Association of South-east Asian States proposal:
The Communists in Malaya today wielded no influence with the masses, as they could not offer a better way of life.
The people here were getting a fair deal from the Government and were happy and contended.
At the outset of his speech the Tengku thanked the Malayan and foreign press for their splendid co-operation.
"Such co-operation," he said "is something which every party in power values greatly, and my party as a baby in world politics values it even more so.
"The little we have managed to achieve for the country has been well publicised by the press, and the people are well informed."
Malaya, the Tengku said, had been fortunate in that there had been very little industrial unrest and no incidence of strikes so far in 1961.
Before independence there was an average of 300 strikes a year. After independence the figure was only 37.
However, the Government was not unmindful of what it must do for improving the workers' lot.
Returning to his theme of loyalty to Malaya, the Tengku said it had been alleged that the Chinese populations of both Singapore and the Federation combined would make the Chinese equal in number to the Malays.
Thinking on this line would not help at all," he said.
"They maintain that because of this the Chinese are entitled to have their language as one of the official languages of Malaya," said the Tengku.
"In my view, this argument does not hold good, because which dialect would you choose?
If you talk in Mandarin, how many Chinese would understand it? he asked.
On the other hand, Malay is a language commonly spoken everywhere -- in the streets, shops, offices -- in varying degrees of efficiency.
"Moreover, it is a simple language and can be spoken and learnt without much effort," he said.
If the argument of certain sections of the people that Chinese should be the National Language on the ground of numbers was given credit, then the Indonesians today should be speaking Javanese and not Malay, he said.
"We, in the Federation have our difficulties because of an element of Chinese who advocate Chinese for the sake of whipping up popular support from certain section of the people," he said.
"The press will be doing a great service to the country by fighting these dangerous elements by exposing them."
The Tengku said that there was no question of the teaching of any language being discouraged or suppressed because they had got as many Chinese schools as there were others.
"This was more than they could find in other countries, whether in South-East Asia or elsewhere, where there were Chinese.
"In fact, it was the Alliance Government's policy to subsidise all schools and to give free primary education to all vernacular schools.
"But it was essential to agree on an educational policy whereby students leaving any school would be eligible for jobs in both the government service and business houses.
"In this way nobody would be frustrated just because they had been to such and such a language school."
"I feel that we can bring the people round if every responsible citizen of this country realises the importance of our stand on the language question.
"Otherwise, it can become an issue which can be quite contentious and is likely to lead to a lot of trouble.
"The Chinese in Malaya, unlike their counterparts in some neighbouring countries, have no reason to be unhappy.
"They are free to own property, in fact, they do own most of the properties and businesses here. The economic life of the country is very largely in their hands, and they share political rights with the Malays and others."
The Tengku next spoke of the plan for South-East Asian political and economic co-operation. He said:
"Malaya today as a nation realises that she cannot stand in isolation.
"Outside of international politics the national politics must be broad based.
"Sooner or later she should have an understanding with Britain and the peoples of the territories of Singapore, Borneo, Brunei and Sarawak.
"It is premature for me to say now how close this understanding can be brought about, but it is inevitable that we should look ahead to this objective and think of a plan whereby these territories can be brought closer together in political and economic co-operation.
"This would not be possible of the Chinese start to think and talk everything Chinese.
"The Malays will be made to feel nervous of their presence as Chinese and not as Malayans. Chinese are a practical people and as such they must think clearly ahead. Above all, Malaya must be the sole object of their loyalty."
Referring to ASAS the Tengku said very soon a team of officials from Malaya, the Philippines and Thailand would make up a working party which would have talks in Bangkok.
"The countries within this organisation," said the Tengku, "realise that they must get together for the common good of the people of this region.
"Unfortunately, the purpose and objective of ASAS has not been appreciated by some neighbouring countries, and has also evoked criticism from Communist countries.
"Some countries in South-East Asia are persuaded not to join us on the grounds that this organisation has no depth or substance and the America and Britain are behind it.
"This is utterly absurd. I proposed this organisation in Manila as I felt that we should do something for ourselves and not leave it to America, Britain or anyone else to do the thinking for us.
"I repeat this: ASAS is NOT set up for defence purposes as some think. Its aims and objectives are purely economic and cultural and I am confident that the countries within this organisation will derive immense benefit through it.
"Malaya was not popular with some Asian countries and had been called a stooge of the British and Americans and accused of supporting imperialism.
Those countries supported the Communists and called themselves neutrals.
"I am at a loss to understand," said the Tengku, "in which direction their neutrality lies.
"We have not been slow to criticise even our friends when we find they have done wrong in our view. We are not neutrals in the sense that we are bitterly opposed to Communism. We fought them and have beaten them in our country.
"Some people here feel that we are open to attack by the Communists and that if we are not careful we will face external aggression.
"Let me tell such people that if we are invaded by the Communists the result will not be a local war but a global one.
"There can be no halfway house in loyalty. No one ever becomes happy by trying to make the best of two worlds.
"People who think they are ensuring their future by trying to be friendly with the Communists on the one hand and with the Governments of the Federation and Singapore on the other, are sure to end up losing one way or the other.
"We want citizens to think, feel, believe and work for the good of Malaya and look to Malaya as the sole object of their loyalty. This, I am sure, is the desire of all in the country except for a small minority."
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