§ 105. Mr. Gammansasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps he proposes to take to counteract the statement made by the Peking Radio to the effect that the Chinese population in Malaya is being persecuted and subjected to torture.
§ Mr. J. GriffithsI do not consider that a formal refutation of such evident untruths is necessary. The policy of His Majesty's Government and the Federation Government is, as has been repeatedly stated, to foster a common citizenship for members of all communities who regard Malaya as their real home and object of loyalty. The vast majority of the Chinese in Malaya are 33W peaceful and law-abiding. Far from being persecuted by the Government of the Federation of Malaya, they are protected by that Government from the violence of the Malayan Communist Party, which is almost wholly composed of alien Chinese.
Since 1948 some 1,300 civilians have been murdered by the Communists in Malaya. Of this total 870 have been Chinese. It is clear, therefore that the sufferings experienced by the Chinese in Malaya are the result of the actions of a desperate minority which seeks to terrorise and exploit them for exclusively Communist ends.