§ 54. Mr. T. Reidasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the approximate number of Chinese in Malaya and Singapore, respectively; what percentage they are in each case of the total native population; and approximately what proportion of them claim dual nationality as Chinese and British-Malayan subjects.
§ Mr. HopkinsonIn the Federation of Malaya there are about 2,250,000 Chinese, that is, about 38 per cent. of the Asian population. In Singapore there are about 900,000 Chinese, that is, about 76 per cent. of the Asian population. By Chinese law all persons of Chinese race have Chinese nationality. About 53 per cent. of the Chinese in the Federation are citizens of the Federation and about 74 per cent. of the Singapore Chinese are citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies.
§ Mr. ReidIn considering the future constitutional position of the Federation, will the Minister realise that if self-government were granted to the Federation, about half the population would already be subjects of Communist China?
§ Mr. HopkinsonI should, I think, point out that that is the view of the Chinese Government, and it is not, in general, the Malayan Chinese themselves who claim Chinese citizenship.