§ 107. Mr. Prittasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he knows that a recent mass meeting of non-interned Asiatic civil servants, called by the Malayan Junior Civil Services Association, unanimously rejected the Malayan Government's offer to settle their claim for back pay during the Japanese occupation by payments amounting net to about seven per cent. of the pay involved and decided to maintain their claim for the same terms as were freely conceded over a year ago to European employees in the same position, namely, 100 per cent.; what is the reason for this discrimination; and what steps he will take in the matter.
Mr. Creech JonesI am aware that at a mass meeting of the Malayan Junior Civil Servants Association it was resolved to reject the basis of settlement which had been decided upon, with my concurrence, by the two Malayan Governments. The broad effect of that basis of settlement was to apply to locally recruited civil servants the same principles as were adopted for Europeans. I see no reason to take any further steps in this matter.