§ 48 and 49. Mr. Awberyasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) if he is aware that security lighting has been discontinued in many of the villages in the Federation of Malaya; that the removal of this amenity increases the risks by villagers which is in excess of the savings involved; antd if he will take steps to restore this extra safeguard;
(2) if he is aware that the scattered residents of the jungle in Malaya and ex-squatters were promised that they would receive many benefits in the resettled villages, hitherto unknown to them such as electric lighting; that this privilege and amenity has now been withdrawn on the grounds of excessive cost; and if he will take steps to extend the grid system to cover all these villages.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThese are entirely matters for the Federation Government. They alone can decide when the local situation has improved sufficiently to justify the discontinuance of security lighting and I am not prepared to intervene in the matter.
Although the inhabitants of the new villages enjoy many amenities previously unknown to them, they were not induced to move by promise of these things but were resettled for security reasons. Where the grid is available, villagers can have electricity in their houses if sufficient of them are prepared to pay the necessary charges. It is not possible to provide electricity everywhere in the Federation but the new villages will benefit, in common with other rural communities, from any future extension to the grid system.