7 OCTOBER 1949, Page 16

Travel in Malaya

SIR,—It is astonishing that a writer considered worthy of space in the Spectaror should so disregard facts as does Dorothy Crisp, in her article. Paradox in Malaya, when she says: "Almost all the white people in Malaya now travel exclusively by air to avoid bandits." Probably the inaccuracy of this statement is best shown by the fact that on the main route of Malayan Airways (Singapore-Penang) there are two services daily, carrying a total of about 40 passengers in either direction. Most of these are business-men in a hurry ; I have never heard of anyone flying to avoid bandits. Likc Dorothy Crisp I have myself travelled exclusively by road and rail since my arrival in Malaya nine months ago, but I cannot take pride in this since all my friends have done the same. And as an Army wife, unlikely to spend many years here, I have felt nothing but admiration for the civilians, who do not allow difficult and sometimes dangerous conditions to disrupt the normality of their lives.— I Rifle Range Road, Taiping, North Malaya.