§ Mr. Gallacherasked the Secretary of State for War why the Malayan Communist Party, which led the resistance to Japanese Occupation forces in Malaya, is still an illegal organisation and its members subject to arrest and persecution for their political views.
§ Mr. LawsonThe Communist Party was not recognised as a legal organisation under the local law as it stood immediately before the Japanese occupation and the general policy of the military administration is to respect the previous laws and customs as far as practicable. But no one in Malaya is being persecuted for political views and any arrests have been confined to those persons, regardless of political creed, who have broken the regulations for the maintenance of law and order. The co-operation of the Communist Party has in fact been sought in the maintenance of good order in the territory.