CIA Declassified: Possible Split in UMNO

 



CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE GROUP
INTELLIGENCE REPORT
COUNTRY: Malaya
SUBJECT: Possible Split in United Malays' National Organization
ORIGIN: [REDACTED]
DATE: 25X1A6a
INFO.: [REDACTED]
DIST.: 16 December 1946
PAGES: [REDACTED]
SUPPLEMENT: 25X1X6

  1. The Kuala Lumpur MALAYA TRIBUNE stated 17 Johore organizations presented an ultimatum to Dato Onn to either resign from the presidency of the United Malays' National Organization or to resign from the position of Premier of Johore. The paper stated acceptance of the position of Premier of Johore is unconstitutional as appointment to this position can be legally made only by the Sultan, who is not present in Johore. The same newspaper reported 20 Malay associations in Malacca had joined the Malay Nationalist Party in protest to the results of the recent conferences between the Sultans, the UMNO, and the Malayan Union Government. The conferences are said to have resulted in securing certain privileges for the Sultans but obtained no benefits for the Malay people.
  2. The editor of the Malaya paper, MAJLIS, in Kuala Lumpur, denied that the Malay associations deserted the UMNO for the MNP, and that only the Singapore Malay paper UTUSAN MELAYU swung to the left-wing MNP.
  3. The editor of the MALAYA TRIBUNE placed responsibility for the report of the defection of the Malay associations to the MNP on his chief reporter, who maintains the story is true. The editor of the paper adopted a neutral attitude, but stated his paper will continue to feature the Malayan issue to combat the government tendency to secrecy in regard to the negotiations.




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