239 1
(THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OP HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY S GOVERNMENT)
S E C R E T
C P . ( 4 8 ) 1 9 0
19TH JULY.
COPY NO.
3/
1948
CABINET
THE SITUATION IN MALAYA
lemorandum by S e c r e t a r y o f S t a t e f o p t h e
Colonies
I c i r c u l a t e f o r t h e i n f o r m a t i o n o f my c o l l e a g u e s an
a c c o u n t o f f u r t h e r s t e p s t a k e n s i n c e 1 s t J u l y , when I
c i r c u l a t e d a p a p e r ( c . P . ( 4 8 ) 171) d e s c r i b i n g t h e m a i n f e a t u r e s
o f t h e s i t u a t i o n i n Malaya up t o t h e end o f J u n e .
2.
D u r i n g t h e f i r s t e l e v e n d a y s o f J u l y t h e r e was no
g r e a t improvement o r d e t e r i o r a t i o n i n t h e s i t u a t i o n .
During
t h a t p e r i o d , b a n d i t s were r e s p o n s i b l e f o r 26 m u r d e r s , a l l b u t
o n e o f them n o n - E u r o p e a n , i n c o u n t r y d i s t r i c t s m a i n l y i n t h e
e s t a t e s o f P e r a k and J o h o r e .
T h e r e was no l a r g e - s c a l e
o p e r a t i o n b y t h e b a n d i t s u n t i l 1 2 t h J u l y , when t h e r e o c c u r r e d
t h e i n c i d e n t at B a t u Arang, the s i t e of t h e o n l y c o a l mine i n
M a l a y a , i n which a band a t t a c k e d t h e v i l l a g e and murdered f o u r
people.
No i m p o r t a n t i n c i d e n t h a s o c c u r r e d i n t h e f e w d a y s
s i n c e t h e B a t u A r a n g r a i d , t h o u g h t h e r e were t h r e e m u r d e r s on
the f o l l o w i n g day, 1 3 t h J u l y .
M e a s u r e s t o meet t h e
Situation
3.
The a u t h o r i t i e s i n M a l a y a and S i n g a p o r e have c o n t i n u e d
t h e i r a c t i o n t o improve t h e means o f p r o t e c t i o n and c o u n t e r ­
attack against t e r r o r i s t s .
The f o l l o w i n g a d d i t i o n a l m e a s u r e s
have now b e e n t a k e n .
F e d e r a t i o n o f Malaya:
( i )
( i i )
( i i i )
The r e g u l a r p o l i c e f o r c e i s t o b e e x p a n d e d b y
3 , 0 0 0 l o c a l o t h e r r a n k s and 85 o f f i c e r s , m o s t of
whom w i l l be l o o k e d f o r f r o m t h e P a l e s t i n e P o l i c e .
A c o n s i d e r a b l e a d d i t i o n a l force of S p e c i a l Constabulary
i s being raised c o n s i s t i n g of voluntary part-time
c o n s t a b l e s , and p a i d f u l l - t i m e c o n s t a b l e s .
The
p r e s e n t s t r e n g t h of the S p e c i a l Constabulary i s
b e t w e e n two and t h r e e t h o u s a n d :
the u l t i m a t e
t a r g e t w i l l be i n t h e r e g i o n of s i x t h o u s a n d .
T h i s p l a n w i l l r e q u i r e up t o 5 0 0 P a l e s t i n e
constables for training, inspection, e t c .
A scheme h a s b e e n drawn u p b y G . O . C . , M a l a y a D i s t r i c t ,
f o r t h e f o r m a t i o n of j u n g l e u n i t s f o r o f f e n s i v e
operations against g u e r i l l a s in the jungle.
Pour
240
u n i t s a r e t o be r a i s e d i n i t i a l l y .
Each u n i t i l l
"be o f f i c e r e d b y e x - o f f i c e r s o f F o r c e 1 3 6 , w h e r e
a v a i l a b l e , and b o t h Malays and Chinese w i l l be
recruited.
The f o r c e , w h i c h I s b e i n g g i v e n t h e
c o d e name " F e r r e t " , i s t o b e r a i s e d u n d e r E m e r g e n c y
R e g u l a t i o n s , b u t w i l l be a d m i n i s t e r e d b y t h e Malay
Regiment and t r a i n e d a t t h e Malay Regiment H.Q.
a t P o r t D i c k s o n . iTo p u b l i c i t y i s b e i n g g i v e n t o
t h e r a i s i n g of t h i s f o r c e .
( i v )
A scheme h a s a l s o b e e n d r a w n u p b y t h e G - . Q . C ,
M a l a y a D i s t r i c t , f o r t h e f o r m a t i o n of a m i x e d
f o r c e t o o p e r a t e i n t he I T o r t h e r n F r o n t i e r t o
p r e v e n t - i l l e g a l i m m i g r a t i o n and gun r u n n i n g .
This
w i l l p r o b a b l y make n e c e s s a r y t h e r a i s i n g of a
t h i r d B a t t a l i o n of t h e M a l a y R e g i m e n t ;
this
q u e s t i o n i s s t i l l b e i n g s t u d i e d by the A c t i n g High
Commissioner and h i s a d v i s e r s .
(As t h e s e a d d i t i o n a l p o l i c e - a n d o t h e r l o c a l l y
r e c r u i t e d f o r c e s b e c o m e o p e r a t i o n a l , two B a t t a l i o n s o f t h e
M a l a y R e g i m e n t a n d o n e S q u a d r o n of t h e R . A . F . R e g i m e n t ( M a l a y a )
now e m p l o y e d o n s t a t i c g u a r d d u t i e s , c a n b e r e l e a s e d f o r
operational roles.
I n a d d i t i o n some- h , 0 0 0 G u r k h a t r o o p s now
used as guards at s t r a t e g i c p o i n t s could be r e t u r n e d for
further training.)
Singapore:
( v )
( v i )
The s i t u a t i o n i n S i n g a p o r e h a s u p t o now b e e n a
good d e a l l e s s d i f f i c u l t t h a n i n t h e F e d e r a t i o n ,
t h o u g h t h e r e i s e v i d e n c e t h a t we m u s t b e p r e p a r e d
f o r t h e p o s s i b i l i t y of t r o u b l e .
The G o v e r n o r i s
r e c r u i t i n g twenty-five a d d i t i o n a l commissioned
p o l i c e o f f i c e r s , o f whom o n e w i l l b e a G u r k h a l i ­
s p e a k i n g o f f i c e r , four w i l l be l o c a l l y promoted
A s i a t i c i n s p e c t o r s , and twenty o f f i c e r s s e l e c t e d
from t h i s c o u n t r y .
I am e n d e a v o u r i n g t o o b t a i n
a s m a n y a s p o s s i b l e f r o m among t h e r a n k s of t h e
former P a l e s t i n e P o l i c e .
I n a d d i t i o n 600 s p e c i a l c o n s t a b l e s a n d a c o n s i d e r a b l e
number of u n p a i d p a r t - t i m e v o l u n t e e r s a r e being­
raised in Singapore.
E q u i p m e n t of t h e
police.
I)..
Measures are being taken here to expedite the despatch
of a l l t h e e q u i p m e n t r e q u i r e d b y t h e p o l i c e .
The a u t h o r i t i e s
i n Malaya have t e l e g r a p h e d s t a t e m e n t s of o u t s t a n d i n g o r d e r s and
new o r d e r s w h i c h t h e y w i s h m e t q u i c k l y , a n d a l r e a d y a
s u b s t a n t i a l p a r t of t h e i r r e q u i r e m e n t s h a s b e e n d e s p a t c h e d b y
a i r and by f a s t passenger v e s s e l .
Three iteras a r e causing a
l i t t l e d i f f i c u l t y which w i l l , i hope, be q u i c k l y overcome.
T h e M a l a y a n a u t h o r i t i e s a s k e d me f o r 1 0 , 0 0 0 c a r b i n e s .
These
are not obtainable in t h i s quantity:
I h a v e a s k e d them t o
a c c e p t S t e n s o r L a n c h e s t e r s i n s t e a d a n d ana a w a i t i n g t h e i r r e p l y .
T h e y h a v e j u s t a s k e d me f o r 200 m o b i l e v / i r e l e s s s e t s and. s u p p l y
p o s s i b i l i t i e s are under urgent i n v e s t i g a t i o n .
(The n e e d f o r
t h e s e , t o e n a b l e f o r c e s t o b e summoned u r g e n t l y lo- p o i n t s o f
attack, is obvious.)
They a l s o r e q u i r e f i v e armoured
241
r e c o n n a i s s a n c e c a r s a n d 70 a r m o u r e d c a r s .
The War O f f i c e h a v e
o f f e r e d i n s t e a d 100 L y n x a r m o u r e d c a r s a n d a r e p l y i r e m M a l a y a
is awaited.
The L y n x c a r s c a n b e s h i p p e d q u i c k l y .
S t r e n g t h of t h e
Garrison
5.
My c o l l e a g u e s w i l l w i s h t o h a v e a s t a t e m e n t o n t h i s
subject.
I n p a r a g r a p h s 1 6 t o 19 of C P . ( 4 3 ) 171 I g a v e a
b r i e f summary of t h e p l a n of o p e r a t i o n s p r o p o s e d "by t h e
C o m m i s s i o n e r - G e n e r a l a f t e r c o n s u l t a t i o n w i t h t h e c i v i l ana.
military authorities.
The p l a n of o p e r a t i o n s w a s d r a w n u p i n
two p h a s e s , p h a s e 1 c o n s i s t i n g of t h e m e a s u r e s r e q u i r e d t o
r e s t o r e l a w a n d o r d e r i n t h e s e t t l e d a r e a s of t h e t e r r i t o r y ,
t o m a i n t a i n t h e e c o n o m i c l i f e of t h e c o u n t r y , a n d r e s t o r e
morale, and phase 2 - the f u r t h e r measures n e c e s s a r y to
l i q u i d a t e t h e g u e r i l l a b a n d s whose h e a d q u a r t e r s a r e i n t h e
Jungle.
I n s u b m i t t i n g t h i s p l a n o f o p e r a t i o n s t o me t h e
Commissioner-General s a i d t h a t the C - i n - C Par E a s t Land
F o r c e s , c o n s i d e r e d t h a t t h e m i l i t a r y f o r c e s a v a i l a b l e t o hUa
w e r e , f o r t h e t i m e b e i n g , s u f f i c i e n t , w i t h some a d d i t i o n a l
a s s i s t a n c e from t h e Royal A i r F o r c e .
The 1 s t I n n i s h i l l i n g s a r e
b e i n g m o v e d f r o m Hong Kong t o S i n g a p o r e , a n d t h e a d d i t i o n a l a i r
a s s i s t a n c e r e q u i r e d , w h i c h c o n s i s t e d of s u f f i c i e n t O . P . F l i g h t s
t o b r i n g t h e t o t a l up t o f i v e P l i g h t s , i s b e i n g p r o v i d e d .
The
Commissioner-General and t h e c i v i l and m i l i t a r y a u t h o r i t i e s
h a v e r e c e n t l y a s s u r e d me t h a t t h e y h a v e s u f f i c i e n t f o r c e s t o
ensure t h a t phase 1 i s s u c c e s s f u l .
6.
I h a v e now r e c e i v e d a t e l e g r a m d a t e d I h t h -Paly f r c r a
t h e Acting; High C o i m n i s s i o n o r , Kuala Lumpur, r e p o r t i n g
r e p r e s e n t a t i o n s by the l e a d i n g Malayan rubber and t i n i n t e r e s t s ,
who a s s e r t t h a t u n l e s s t h e s i t u a t i o n i s c l e a r e d u p I n a f e w
m o n t h s t h e y c a n n o t g u a r a n t e e t o c o n t i n u e p r o d u c t i o n , a n d demand
a s a n i m m e d i a t e r e i n f o r c e m e n t two f u r t h e r b r i g a d e s * The
A c t i n g High Commissioner, S i r Alec Newboult, i s d i s c u s s i n g t h i s
m a t t e r w i t h t h e B r i t i s h Defence C o - o r d i n a t i o n Committee.
7.
The n u m b e r of t r o o p s r e q u i r e d f o r p h a s e 2 asvsmLSf
a s a l r e a d y i n d i c a t e d , u p o n t h e s u c c e s s of p h a s e 1 , mid I w a s
warned by the Commissioner ^General t h a t i f p h a s e 1 went b a d l y a n
a d d i t i o n a l D i v i s i o n of t r o o p s w o u l d b e r e q u i r e d for- p h a s e 2 .
I h a v e s i n c e s e e n M i n i s t r y of D e f e n c e t e l e g r a m t o G . H . Q . FAEBLF
(COSSEA 653) o f I h t h J u l y w a r n i n g FARELF t h a t t h e r e w i l l "be
g r e a t d i f f i c u l t y i n s e n d i n g r e i n f o r c e m e n t s on a l a r g e s c a l e r o r
p h a s e 2 , a n d t h a t t h e r e i s no p r o s p e c t of s e n d i n g a d i v i s i o n ;
one b r i g a d e i s b e i n g e a r m a r k e d f o r r e i n f o r c e m e n t s h o u l d t h i s h e
e s s e n t i a l , a n d t h e p o s s i b i l i t y of s e n d i n g a n o t h e r b r i g a d e I s
being considered.
A*C . J .
Colonial
19th July,
Office,
19n8.