Description
Published in 1954.
Malaya for many years has been recognized as a vital strategic outpost of Western power in Asia. Both because of its position commanding the shipping lanes to the Far East and because of its importance as a major producer of rubber and tin, it has long had a special significance for the economic policies of both the British Commonwealth and the United States. As the home of a large and flourishing community of Overseas Chinese and as the arena for a protracted and difficult Communist-led rebellion, it has in recent years taken on a vital new importance in the efforts of the free world to contain the spread of Communism in Asia.
Despite the vigorous and controversial efforts of General Gerald Templer to crush the insurrection and to complete a far-reaching program of resettling a half million Chinese “squatters” in newly created village communities, the Communist problem in Malaya has not been completely eliminated and the problem of integrating the Chinese population into the Malayan society as a whole is still acute. With the recent Communist advances in Indochina, Malaya seems recently to have become an even more crucially important area.
This book, by an outstanding British authority on Malaya, is the first up-to-date account of the political, economic and social developments in the country since the end of the war. It contains a historical background, an account of Malaya’s international setting and a detailed account of the Communist rebellion phase by phase, as well as chapters on labor, education, Mala economics, and political parties. It dwells at length on the rise of an “Asian consciousness” and analyzes Communist propaganda in Malaya. It subjects General Templer’s “reforms” to critical examination.
Dr. Purcell concludes with a long chapter suggesting what might still be done to keep Malaya from going Communist and retain it within the Western sphere of influence. He believes that, in order to have the will and the means (e.g. a national army) to defend itself against Communist encroachment, Malaya must be self-governing and elections-genuine parliamentary elections-should be held soon.
About Victor Purcell
From 1931 to 1946 Dr. Purcell was a member of the Malayan Civil Service and held a number of appointments, including those of Protector of Chinese and Director-General of Information. He was Principal Advisor on Chinese Affairs on the liberation of Malaya in 1945. On retiring from the Malayan Civil Service, he became an officer of the United Nations. He visited Malaya for the U.N. in 1947 and has paid two visits since then – in 1950 and 1052. He is a Chinese scholar, speaking several dialects, and also speaks Malaya. His books, The Chinese in Malaya and The Chinese in South-Asia are standard in their field. Since 1949 he has been Lecturer in Far Eastern History at the University of Cambridge.
Dr. Purcell died January 2, 1965.
This is a reproduction edition from a scanned copy of the original edition:
Title: Malaya: Communist or Free?
Author: Victor Purcell
Publisher: Stanford University Press
ISBN: 080473321X
Length: 288 pages
Tags:
stanford press, Federal Legislative Council, Federation of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, UMNO, Malayan Union, Briggs Plan, Indonesia, Fenn-Wu Report, trade unions, Perak, Malayan Chinese Association, Penang, Asian, Singapore Standard, Kuomintang, squatters, High Commissioner, MPAJA, Dato Onn, Malayan Communist Party, communism 
