SINGAPORE (10 AUGUST 1965) (REUTERS - VISNEWS TELERECORDING)



1.
GV REPORTERS (DO NOT USE THE SOUND ON THIS SCENE)
0.07

2.
CU LEE KUAN YEW; REPORTER ASKS QUESTION SOF IN "COULD YOU OUTLINE THIS...." SOF OUT "....WE STOP FOR A WHILE"
4.11


TRANSCRIPT: SEQ 2: QUESTION: "COULD YOU OUTLINE FOR US THE CHAIN OF EVENTS THAT LED TO THIS MORNING'S PROCLAMATION?"



LEE KUAN YEW: "WHEN I FIRST MET THE TUNKU AT 1230 ON SATURDAY MORNING I WAS STILL NOT CONVINCED THAT IN SPITE OF EVERYTHING THAT DR. TOH HAD TOLD ME, BECAUSE HE HAD BEEN FOR A FEW DAYS IN DISCUSSION WITH MALAYSIAN MINISTERS, I DID NOT BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS NO OTHER WAY. I BELIEVED THEN THAT I COULD STILL CONVINCE THE TUNKU THAT THERE WERE A NUMBER OF OTHER WAYS OF REDUCING COMMUNAL TENSIONS IN MALAYSIA, SUCH AS A LOOSER FEDERATION. WELL, EVEN AT THE TIME WHEN I WAS JUST BEGINNING MY DISCUSSIONS WITH HIM I FOUND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS NO OTHER WAY. AND I KNEW FROM WHAT HE SAID, AND HE HAD AN INTUITION ABOUT THESE MATTERS, THAT WE WOULD ALL BE IN FOR BIG COMMUNAL TROUBLE IF SINGAPORE, OR I AND MY COLLEAGUES, INSISTED ON GOING ON WITH MALAYSIA AS IT IS. THE TUNKU CONVINCED ME AND HE TOLD ME THAT HE COULD NOT GO ON HOLDING THE SITUATION MUCH LONGER AND HE COULD SEE REAL TROUBLE IN MALAYSIA IF SINGAPORE CONTINUES TO BE IN IT. THIS IS...THIS IS A MOMENT OF ...EVERY TIME WE LOOK BACK AT THIS MOMENT, LIKE THIS TIME AT THIS AGREEMENT WHICH SEVERS SINGAPORE FROM MALAYSIA, IT WILL BE A MOMENT OF ANGUISH. AND FOR ME IT IS A MOMENT OF ANGUISH BECAUSE ALL MY LIFE...(LONG PAUSE)...YOU SEE THE WHOLE OF MY ADULT LIFE... I HAVE BELIEVED IN THE MERGER AND THE UNITY OF THESE TWO TERRITORIES...YOU KNOW THAT PEOPLE CONNECTED BY GEOGRAPHY, ECONOMICS AND TIES OF KINSHIP... WOULD YOU MIND IF WE STOP FOR A WHILE...




Initials PC/V-TELE/MGT/EEH


EDITORS: THE FOLLOWING STORIES ALSO REFER:
PROD: 7537/65 SINGAPORE BREAKS WITH MALAYSIA - LIBRARY FILM - ISSUED 9 AUGUST 1965
7539/65 MORE LIBRARY FILM ON SINGAPORE'S BREAKING - ISSUED 9 AUGUST 1965
7573/65 TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN TELLS PRESS CONFERENCE OF SINGAPORE'S WITHDRAWAL - ISSUED 10 AUGUST 1965
7575/65 SINGAPORE REMAINS CALM AFTER WITHDRAWAL FROM MALAYSIA - ISSUED 10 AUGUST 1965

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: FOLLOWING THE DECISION TO LEAVE THE FEDERATION OF MALAYSIA, SINGAPORE IS NOW ASKING FOR ADMISSION TO THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH AS AN INDEPENDENT STATE.MR.LEE KUAN YEW, THE PRIME MINISTER, IS TO MAKE A FORMAL APPLICATION AND BRITAIN IS EXPECTED TO RECEIVE THE REQUEST FAVOURABLY.

MR.LEE KUAN YEW WAS ASKED AT A NEWS CONFERENCE IN SINGAPORE YESTERDAY (MONDAY) ABOUT THE DECISION TO BREAK WITH MALAYSIA:
AT THIS POINT MR.LEE KUAN YEW BROKE DOWN AND FOR SOME MINUTES WAS UNABLE TO GO ON.

AT THIS POINT MR.LEE KUAN YEW BROKE DOWN AND FOR SOME MINUTES WAS UNABLE TO GO ON.

(SINGAPORE'S FORMAL ENTRY INTO THE COMMONWEALTH IS FELT TO BE A MATTER OF URGENCY, AS CERTAIN LEGAL AND ECONOMIC QUESTIONS ARISE.A TEAM OF OFFICIALS UNDER MR.CLEDWYN H???TS, THE BRITISH MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMONWEALTH RELATIONS, IS EXAMINING ALL ASPECTS OF THE SINGAPORE SECESSION.

(REPORTS FROM SINGAPORE TODAY SAID THAT DR.TOH CHIN CHYE, THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, TOLD A PRESS CONFERENCE THAT SINGAPORE'S WITHDRAWAL FROM THE FEDERATION WAS ANYTHING BUT VOLUNTARY.