ENTRY INTO SARAWAK

Chronicle (Levin), 20 December 1946, Page 5

ENTRY INTO SARAWAK

Press Assn.-

Rajah's Son Refuses To Cive Assurance movements cause cqncern

By Telegraph

-Copyright

Received Friday, 10.50 a.m. LONDON, Dec. 10. It is officially announced m Singapore that Mr. Antho'ny Brooke, Rajah Muda of Sarawak before its cession to the British Crown, has refused to give assurances that if he came to Singapore from Hong Kong he would refrain from making statements or indulging in any activity relating to the status of Sarawak. The Singapore Government is waiting news of his future intentions. Mr. Brooke reached Manila before he heard from the British Legation there that an order had been made prohibiting his entry into Sarawak, according to a statement issued by his solieitors. Mr. Brooke left Britain on December 6 with the avowed intention of consulting the wishes of the native c.ommunities regarding the restoration of Sarawak's independence, j the statement added. The ban had presumably been made by the Governor of Sarawak, but no reason had been given for the ban. "Mr. Brooke arrived at Manila on December 15 by air from America and has been officially informed by the British authorities that he will not be allowed to proceed to Sarawak," says the Singapore correspondent of the Times. "It remains to be secn whether he will be allowed to come to Singapore where his motlier recently arrived." An immigration offlcial requested correspondents waiting at the airfield not to see Mr. Brooke for two j minutes after his arrival, so that j Mr. Brooke could be warned not to speak to the Press. The offlcial hinted that Mr. Brooke would be arrested if he broke the order. The Malaya Tribune quotes an earlier statement from the Gov-ernor-General's office that Mr. j Brooke would not be gagged. | Questions in Commons When questions were raised in the House of Commons as to whether the banning of Mr. Brooke's visit to Sarawak was not an infringement of the individual's riglit, the Secretary for Colonies, Mr. Creech Jones, said the procedure* adopted was perfeetly legal. Mr. Brooke sought to overthrow constitutional Government in Sarawak. "The urgent need is that reconstruction should continue, and the people should not be faced with another ccnstitu+ienal problem." Mr. Churchill said that the last statement was a very perfect declaration of tyranny in the moiah of the person speaking it. Mr. Teeling gave notice that he would raise, on the adjournmeni tomorrow. the matter of the Government's refusal to allow Mr. Brooke to enter Sarawak. Mr. Churchill gace notice that when Parliament ivassembled the Opposiiion would ask for an opportunity to move a vote of censure. Mi\ Herbert Morrison: What are we to be censured for? Mr. Churchill: I shouldn'l attempt to drafl a motion at thF moment, but tyranny, conceit and incompetence would be the substanc.e of it.