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INVITATION FROM
MALAYAN UNIONS
A.C.T.U. Group Could
See Conditions
SINGAPORE, Aug. 10 (A.A.P.).
A delegation from the Australian Council of Trade Unions
that was truly representative of all strata of trade-unionist politi-
. cal opinion would be welcomed by unionists in the Malayan Fede-
ration. ' ;
Councillor Mr. V. M. N. Menon, general secretary of the Estate
. Clerical Workers' Union, issued the invitation to-day. Mr. Menon
is a . prominent: tra'de unionist and a Legislative Council' member'.
Mr. Menon was commenting
on a statement reportedly
made by the A.C.T.U".: secretary
(Mr. Albert Monk) that his
council would give careful con
sideration to any request from
the Malayan unions to send an
Australian representative to
Investigate Communist tactics
In Malaya.
Alternatively, other -reli
able trade union sources here'
to-day suggested ' an inter
national delegation might
visit Malaya and ' report on
Australian Communist alle
gations that the Malayan
Government was suppressing
trade unionism here.
. These sources - said ' they
thought an international dele
gation might- include repre
sentatives of the British Trade
Union Congress, "American
Federation of Labor, Austra
lian Council of Trade Unions
and National- Trade Union
Congress of India.
Malayan officials ' in Singa-
pore, commenting on the Aus
tralian Communist Sharkey's
statement that no Malayan
Communist party representa
tive attended the Communist
congress at Calcutta in Febru
ary, have pointed out' that the
Malayan" Chinese Communist
Lee Soong was in Calcutta for
the concurrent Cqmmunist-led
South-East; Asia Youth con
ference.
Lee Soong has no gone
"underground" with other
Communist leaders.
Chinese Offer Aid
Chinese1 have applied';' for
permission to form their own
Johore . Chinese auxiliary
police force to help the
authorities 'to combat ter
rorism.
Observers believe this is an
important development in the
Malayan political situation,
where the majority of the large
Chinese populace thus-far has
remained inactive in; the face
of the terrorist challenge to
the Government.
Chinese associations in Jo
hore .in a recent conference
with the adviser on Chinese
affairs submitted a proposal
for their own police force to
. the Government.
Chinese leaders pledged man
power and money, for the force,
provided the Government , un-
. dertook the training of recruits
and supplied them with arms.
A . combined police and mili
tary force yesterday killed an
' insurgent in the Kuala Kubu
i. district. 50 . miles . north of
. Kuala Lumpur, after they dis-
covered a well disguised jungle
hideout.
They found rifles and quan
tities of Sten and rifle am
munition and made sixteen ar
rests.
A police patrol that clashed
with insurgents in a gun duel
near Kajang last night later
found a Sten gun and two
magazines.
Three Europeans engaged
three terrorists in a gun fight
yesterday just outside Ipoli.
A European miner was tra
velling by car to his dredge. He
was fired on when he chal
lenged an approaching Chinese.
The European returned the fire
and the Chinese ran into the
jungle.
Two other Europeans living
nearby joined in the search for
the gunman, but found them
selves fired on by three Chinese
armed with two Sten guns and
a rifle.
One hand grenade and two
Sten gun magazines were re
covered from the spot.
Thirteen armed, uniformed
I Chinese burnt trie smoke house
and packing shed at : Penarth
estate this morning.
A terrorist armed with a rifle
and revolver, at dusk last night
shot, at a European . named
Bower, assistant, manager of
ocf-afp 7-oh's dls-
jtrlet. 'of-'.-'Jolwre.
.At the . i.'.ur,- time tin at c
igumd'. ctreve- nif ten i'en-eri'ita
jseen in -Uie vicinity- ol .-the es-
- ,i
' estate in 'a lmw>tyvrj
about -ten iiiiks uci iti oi
Lumpur stopped work to-day
following a "stop work or die '
ultimatum from a band of
armed insurgents.
This is the first case in the
Malayan crisis wnere runoer
production has been lost as
the result of insurgent inti
midation.
About 140 Chinese and In
dian laborers are- involved;
Tappers returned to their
homes this morning after two
Chinese had been waylaid by
six armed gunmen and one
shot in the thigh.
About nine o'clock the in
surgent band appeared on the
estate and delivered the ulti
matum.
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