§ 140. Mr. Spenceasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how soon he expects to be able to allow the wives of civil servants and planters returning to Malaya to rejoin their husbands unconditionally or to travel with them.
213W214W
§ Mr. George Hall:It is no longer necessary for the wives of Government officials and non-officials, whose husbands have already returned to Malaya, to obtain special permission to enter that territory. But the shipping situation is still such that it is likely to be a considerable time before all such wives can join their husbands in, or accompany them to, Malaya. In the meantime the policy in the allocation of the available passages is to give priority to wives who have been separated from their husbands for long periods. About 150 wives have been provided with passages to Malaya but half of these qualified as "workers" before the restrictions on wives were lifted. Passages for another 200 wives (not workers) are being arranged on a ship leaving about the end of May.