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Student Politics in University of Malaya, 1949–51

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 August 2009

Yeo Kim Wah
Yeo Kim Wah
Affiliation:
National University of Singapore
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Extract

On the Foundation Day of the University of Malaya on 8 October 1949, Malcolm MacDonald, the Chancellor of the new university and British Commissioner-General in Southeast Asia, proudly declared that the university was founded “at a timely and auspicious moment” when “we are witnessing in Malaya the birth of a nation”. MacDonald rested his inspiring theme on the British postwar policy of preparing Malaya for eventual self-government within the British Commonwealth. Under this policy Singapore was constituted a distinct crown colony with a legislature in which only six of the twenty-two members were popularly elected, whereas the other Settlements and the Malay States were merged into the Malayan Union which had fully nominated federal and state legislatures. It seems clear from the postwar political reorganization that the British policy-makers had intended to take Malaya slowly, stage by stage, to self-government and eventual independence.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Southeast Asian Studies , Volume 23 , Issue 2 , September 1992 , pp. 346 - 380
Copyright
Copyright © The National University of Singapore 1992

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References

1 Sunday Times, 9 10 1949Google Scholar.

2 In this paper the term “Malaya” refers to the Peninsular mainland and Singapore.

3 Fong, Leong Yee “Labour and Trade unionism in Colonial Malaya: A Study of the Socio-economic and Political Bases of the Malayan Labour Movement, 1930–1957” (PhD dissertation, University of Malaya, 1990), pp. 373–74Google Scholar; see also Wah, Yeo Kim, Political Development in Singapore, 1945–55, (Singapore, 1973), pp. 98, 229Google Scholar.

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6 Minute by H.T. Bourdillon, 9 Oct. 1947, Colonial Office (CO) 717/160/52739/7/1947; Appointment of Principal Designate of University College, 18 Mar. 1947, CO 717/161/52379/8/1947.

7 Carr-Saunders, Alexander, The Report of the Commission on University Education in Malaya (Kuala Lumpur, Government Printing Office, 1948), pp. 6–7Google Scholar, (henceforth cited as The Carr-Saunders Report); also minute by H.T. Bourdillon, 9 Oct. 1947, CO 717/160/52739/7/1947.

8 Medical College Union Magazine 10, (1947–1948): 2Google Scholar. (Henceforth cited as MCU Magazine.)

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10 Interview with a former Arts student (1948–52) who later became a fellow of Dunearn Road Hostel, 4 Nov. 1989. (Henceforth cited as A former Arts Student.)

11 The Lark was published by Tan Joo Liang (a Medical student and Editor) and Wong Poi Kwong (also a Medical student). An article entitled “Can We Walk?” in 1950 stated its conservative stand on self-government for Malaya.

12 The others were Wong Soo Kai (Medical student), Ong Cheng Hooi (Medical student), Tan Chee Yong (Medical student), Yap Wah (Dental student), Wong Chee Tong (Dental student) and Seow Li Cheng (Dental student). The last, Joseph K.M. Tan, graduated in December 1947.

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16 Ibid.; Interviews with Eu Chooi Yip, 19 Apr. 1991 and P.V. Sarma, 15 Feb. 1992.

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31 Minute of the Extraordinary General Meeting of the MCU 19 May 1949.

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33 Silcock, T.H., “The University and Progress in Malaya” in Symposium on the Carr-Saunders Report on University Education, ed. Boh, Lim Tay (International Student Service, Malaya, 1949), p. 18Google Scholar.

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44 Ibid., p. 1.

45 Ibid. 1, no. 4, (5 May 1950): 1.

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49 Ibid., p. 2.

50 Ibid. 1, no. 6, (23 June 1950).

51 Ibid. 2, no. 1, (24 Nov. 1950): 1.

52 Ibid., p. 6.

53 Ibid., pp. 1 and 6.

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62 Free Press, 21 June 1950. A.G. Blades' description fits Eu Chooi Yip very well indeed.

63 James Puthucheary was surprised to see Corridon listening to T.S. Eliot's Wasteland on tape when he was taken to the latter's home near Mount Faber for the first time. Interview with James Puthucheary, 2 May 1991.

64 Interviews with Lim Chan Yong, 5 Dec. 1986, and Eu Chooi Yip, 19 Apr. 1991.

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66 See discussions in Josey, Alex, Lee Kuan Yew, (Singapore, 1972), pp. 26–33Google Scholar, and in Drysdale, J., Singapore: Struggle for Success, (Singapore, 1984), pp. 32–36, 135–38, 145–46Google Scholar.

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68 Raffles College Union Magazine, (1948–1949): 61Google Scholar; The Undergrad 1, no. 1, (29 11 1948): 2Google Scholar.

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70 Ibid., p. 2; James Puthucheary's Oral History Transcript, 15 June 1985.

71 The UMSU Student Council exercised real control over the Malayan Undergrad only after May 1952 when it appointed the Editorial Board of the paper.

72 In fact Lim Chan Yong claimed that the Malayan Orchid was conceived before his circle of student radicals got involved in the ABL. Interview, 1 Apr. 1991.

73 Interviews with Eu Chooi Yip, 17 Apr. 1991, and P.V. Sarma, 1 Feb. 1992.

74 Interviews with Ah Chin, 3 Oct. 1987, and Ho Seng, 17 Jan. 1988.

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81 This view was shared by a great many politically-conscious students. See, for example, Liang, Khoo Lay's article on “Criticism of the Constitutional Proposals for Malaya: From a Non-Malay Point of View”, in Raffles College Union Magazine 1, (1946–1947): 32–33Google Scholar; also UMSU Magazine, 1950–1951Google Scholar, 1951–52 Editorial.

82 Cited in The Undergrad (24 01 1949)Google Scholar; see also Suara Merdeka 1, no. 1, (11 1950): 1Google Scholar.

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84 Ibid., p. 45.

85 Suara Merdeka 1, no. 2, (12 1950): 2 and 8Google Scholar; “The Memorandum of the Council of Joint Action to the Rendel Commission November 1953”, in Josey, Alex, Asia Newsletter, supplement, (11 1953)Google Scholar.

86 Kanagaratnam, K., “Political Clubs in the University should be Non-communal and Non-sectarian”, The Malayan Undergrad Supplement (13 12 1952): 10Google Scholar.

87 MU 1, no. 4, (5 05 1950): 2Google Scholar; for Lee Kuan Yew's views, see Alex Josey, p. 29.

88 Puthucheary, J.J., “The University and The Student in Society”, MCU Magazine 11, (1949–1950): 32–35Google Scholar; see also “Random Thoughts on the Malayan Political Scene” by Spectator, Ibid., 10, (Jan. 1947–48): 45.

89 The Undergrad 1, no. 2, (24 01 1949): 3Google Scholar; also Puthucheary, J.J. in MCU Magazine 11, (1949–1950): 33Google Scholar.

90 Interview with Lim Chan Yong, 1 Apr. 1991.

91 Cited in The Cauldron 3, no. 1, (03 1949): 40Google Scholar.

92 UMSU Magazine, (1950–1951, 1951–52): 32 and 47Google Scholar.

93 “What's wrong with Federal Citizenship” by Brummel, Beau, MCU Magazine 2, (1949–1950): 56Google Scholar; see also “Thoughts on the New Constitution for Malaya” by Joseph K.M. Tan, Ibid. 9, (1946–47) and “Random Thoughts on the Malayan Political Scene” by Spectator, Ibid. 10, (1947–48).

94 MU 1, no. 1, (18 01 1950): 2Google Scholar.

95 Ibid. 1, no. 2, (9 Feb. 1950): 3; Ibid. 1, no. 5, (23 June 1950): 4.

96 Rees-Williams to John Higham, 18 Oct. 1948, CO 717/161/52739/1948; Minute by Henry Gurney 16 July 1951, CO 717/194/52379/1951.

97 In 1950 only 500,000 Chinese could qualify for citizenship. Ratnam, K.J., Communalism and the Political Process in Malaya (Kuala Lumpur, 1965), p. 84Google Scholar.

98 Cited in The Undergrad 1, no. 2, (24 01 1949): 1Google Scholar; also see Lee Kuan Yew in Alex Josey, p. 31 and Suara Merdeka 1, no. 1, (11 1950): 1Google Scholar.

99 Interviews with James Puthucheary, 2 May 1991, and with P.V. Sarma, 16 May 1992.

100 Alex Josey, pp. 30–31.

101 Cited in The Undergrad 1, no. 3, (12 02 1949)Google Scholar.

102 Ibid. 1, no. 2, (24 Jan. 1949): 3; also the Malayan Orchid on education in 1, no. 3, (12 Feb. 1949): 3.

103 Ibid. 1, no. 2, (24 Jan. 1949): 3.

104 Ibid. 1, no. 3, (12 Feb. 1949): 3.

105 The talk was on “Future Trends in Malaya”, First Annual Report and Financial Statement of UMSU Student Council 8 Jan. 1949–31 Dec. 1950, Colonial Secretariat Office File 1231/1950.

106 Eber's views were reiterated in an item entitled “The Case for Malay” in MU 1, no. 2, (9 02 1950): 3Google Scholar.

107 Puthucheary, J.J. in MCU Magazine 11, (1949–1950): 34Google Scholar.

108 Carr-Saunders Report, p. 87.

109 The Cauldron (Editorial) 3, no. 2, (1949): 3Google Scholar.

110 Puthucheary, J.J. in MCU Magazine 11, (1949–1950): 35Google Scholar; see also Lee Siow Mong, President of Stamford Club on “The University in the Life of the Community”, Lim Tay Boh (ed.), pp. 13–14 and Yip, Eu Chooi to Editor, Raffles College Bulletin, 11 1947, pp. 19–20Google Scholar.

111 T. Silcock, pp. 91–92; Wong Hong Chee, “A History of the Adult Education Board, 1960–1978” (Academic Exercise, National University of Singapore, 1978), p. 6.

112 Ibid., p. 9.

113 Kheng, Cheah Boon (ed.), A Samad Ismail: Journalism and Politics (Kuala Lumpur, 1987), p. 40Google Scholar.

114 One of Abdullah Majid's students was Sidek Saniff, currently Minister of State in Singapore. Interview with Abdullah Majid, 30 Apr. 1991.

115 A former Arts student, 4 Jan. 1989.

116 Interview with Abdullah Majid, 1 May 1991.

117 Interview with James Puthucheary, 2 May 1991.

118 Ibid.; see Koh Tat Boon, “University of Malaya Socialist Club, 1953–62” (Academic Exercise, University of Singapore, 1972), Chap. 2.