BRITAIN ACQUIRES NEW COLONY

Chronicle (Levin), 18 May 1946, Page 5

BRITAIN ACQUIRES NEW COLONY

Press Assn.

By Telegraph

-Copyright

• . . • ' a. . LONDON- May 16. T >T*it n today act|uivod a iiow colony wluui, altor n'mcty i mimilos of liiglily ouicil ioual tlcbato. Ihe Sttnivvak Stato Coimeil ! passed llie second readiug of 1lie (Jesiiioii Bill liv 18 votes to 16 says tho DaiJy AlaiJ's Kuching coi'i'cspoiident. The l»ill now goes j 1o Ihe coiiiinittee stage and third reading luit tliese are considered | purelv lornnil and the Brooke dynasty ean be I'egarded as ended. luan Muda, llie Rajah's younger lii'other, although not a niember of the council, was perniitted to speak during llie debate. II.e said : " 1 agree a new relnt ionship between Britain and Sarawak is essenlial bu1 Ihe niatter has been handled with uunecessarv liaste. " Alenihers of Ihe Oppositiou pointed out that Tunn Muda Jiad no1 been eonsiilted and they ochoed his conmiont on tlie haste. The (liief Sperotarv, who is I'resident of the Oouncil, declared : " \\ e must jiay our share of the war. AVe cannot raiso a loa.n | and we must come into some union othorwise we are sunk. AVe | must have money for food or all will starve." • The Oouncil adjourned in general despondency — del'oated membcrs bccause they had lost ; tho others becausc they felt they had committed national suieide. Orowds gathered in tlie streets stood silent as the news spread that the Brooke rnle is at an end.