REACHING A COMPROMISE THE DELIBERATIONS OF THE SINGAPORE INTERNAL SECURITY COUNCIL (1962-1963)

Abstract

On 2nd February 1963, the Singapore Internal Security Council decided on the execution of Operation Coldstore to detain the leading figures of the communist movement. This operation represented the culmination of a proposal first presented by Tunku Abdul Rahman in February 1962. Following this proposal, extensive deliberations took place which saw the emergence of discordant views in the ISC. Initially, in the absence of major political controversies and incidents, a stalemate situation emerged following the presentation of conflicting opinions between Singapore, the Federation and the British. The merger referendum of September 1962 failed to spark a compromise, much less a consensus between the three governments. As such, the protracted stalemate was prolonged even further as the three governments refused to concede any ground in their positions. The Brunei revolt of December 1962 proved to be the incident that forced a convergence of views between the three governments. Action was agreed upon but it failed to pass since Singapore and the Federation failed to reconcile their positions on the political aspects of the operation. As a result, a valuable opportunity was forgone and a serious rift occurred between Singapore and the Federation, putting merger in jeopardy. The Federation also put into effect its withdrawal from the ISC, endangering internal security provisions in Singapore. The Indonesian Confrontation of January 1963 was thus a reprieve for the three governments. Presented as an extension of the Brunei insurgency, the Confrontation enabled the three governments to act under the political umbrella accorded by this security threat. A compromise was subsequently reached and Operation Coldstore launched. This operation, with both political and security overtones, was primarily intended to secure merger and restore relations with the Federation as demonstrated in the concessions that took place within the ISC.