The British Military Administration's Treason Trial of Dr Charles Joseph Pemberton Paglar, 1946

Abstract

Abstract In the aftermath of World War Two, the return of the British to Singapore had an important place in the history of the region and Dr. Charles Paglar's trial was not considered a matter of major importance and has not been studied. Where Dr. Paglar is mentioned or a report of the trial appears, it usually concludes that there was no verdict and the matter was adjourned sine die. Inevitably, the reader is left with a suspicion that the court was not satisfied the accused should be acquitted and therefore cleared of the charge of treason. The stigma of having been accused of being a collaborator has attached itself to Dr. Paglar's name in history. This study examines the circumstances surrounding how Dr. Paglar came to be brought up on the charge of treason. The position of his being Eurasian in colonial times is considered as a factor that led to the prosecution. Legal and historical aspects of treason and collaboration are presented and examined in the light of the immediate postwar situation. Dr. Paglar's actual trial is studied from newspaper reports and research was conducted in interviews with people who knew the man and his works at the relevant time. The evidence indicates he was a kind, generous man of courage, helping large numbers of people in Singapore and Malaya, regardless of their ethnicity. It is conjectured that his personal lifestyle and the fact of being Eurasian had much to do with the prosecution. Research for this study also reveals that Dr. Paglar was in fact acquitted of the charge of Treason and that he was probably one victim of the need to restore British prestige and control of the region.