§ 90. Mr. Pickthornasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has any statement to make about the murder 322W of 70 Malays in a mosque at Bikaw, Perak, on 6th March and, in general, about racial ill feeling and violence in Malaya.
§ Mr. George Hall:I am aware of this regrettable incident, which has been reported by the military authorities in Malaya. In the Report, the number of Malays killed is stated as 56. The racial feeling in Malaya which has given rise to this and to a number of other clashes during the last four months between the Malay and Chinese communities in different parts of the Peninsula, is the direct outcome of the Japanese occupation. The Military Administration has reported that in the case of these outbreaks it has always been able to count upon the ready support of the leaders of both sides, Chinese and Malay, in re-establishing order. I am informed that the clashes, in which the provocation and the losses have been on both sides, have been most serious in the Perak River area. The position is being carefully watched by the Governor.
The following details of disturbances which took place prior to that referred to by the hon Member are given for the information of the House:
(1) In Kuala Pilah District. At Padang Lebar in the Kuala Pilah district, on 6th November, 1945, a large crowd of some three to four hundred Malays attacked and killed 40 Chinese, a large proportion of whom were women and children.
(2) In the Village of Lambor Kanan, north of Teluk Anson. Perak. On 30th December, 1945, in the village of Lambor Kanan, north of Teluk Anson, Perak, after increasing inter-racial friction during the previous several days, a party of about l00 Chinese attacked the Malay population of the village and killed some three Malays and injured 14. It is estimated that during this clash the losses to the Chinese were approximately 25 killed. Connected disturbances in other areas of Lower Perak spread over a period of three weeks brought the death roll up to approximately 60 Chinese and 30 Malays.
(3) In Raub District of Pahang. At Batu Malim on the 11th of February, 1946, a clash took place in the market when a party of about 200 Malays and about 150 Chinese became involved in a disturbance. In the fighting which followed, according to the latest official reports, some 30 Chinese were killed in- 323W cluding 10 children and two Malays. In addition approximately 16 Chinese and 10 Malays were wounded.
(4) In a village on the Perak River in the Kuala Kangsar district A large party of armed Chinese made an unprovoked attack on the Malays in the very early hours of the morning while they were still sleeping in their beds killing as many as 50 of them and injuring many others.