4 OCTOBER 1957, Page 21

MALAYAN INDEPENDENCE SIR,—I read Inche Mohamed Sopicc's letter with great

interest.

He will, 1 think, though, agree with me that Merdeka was not a current term in Malaya as re- cently as 1953, nor in fact till it had become an Indonesian slogan. I would be interested in the con- text of its use in the Hikayat Abdullah and Seraja Melayu as I was certainly under the impression that it referred to the state of an individual, i.e. free will, and not to the political status of a people,

I would certainly maintain that 2,967,233 are a minority among six millions and fifty thousand. The Malayan Information Officer takes no account of Indians, Ceylonese, Eurasians and Europeans.

If, however, the Chinese would not command a majority were Singapore included in the Federation on a population basis, why the reluctance to admit it on the part of Tungku Abd el Rahman?

As between the races in Malaya I am entirely impartial. But surely it must be conceded 'that the Malays could not have become the 'major political force' without the funds of the Malayan Chinese Association; witness the fate of Party Negara, Nationalist Malay, without Chinese money!

Naturally, any Malayan, Malay, Chinese, Indian or British can, and many will, be elected. But the key surely lies in eight years' residence making a Chinese 'eligible for citizenship.' Inche Mohamed Sopiec must know that this procedure is not so simple as it sounds.

It is true that a Chinese could become Mentri Besar (which I would prefer to render as 'Grand Vizir'). Equally, a few conk/ become President of the United States.

Penang and Malacca cited as instances where Chinese rose to high office are, by a quaint coin- cidence, both former British Colonies. Malacca has not been a Malay State since 1511, nor Penang since 1786.

May I conclude by saying I have no bias against the Malays, nor did I ever charge them with being illiberal.—Yours faithfully, . GEORGE EDINGER