Lim Chin Siong was elected Secretary General of the Singapore Factory and Shop Workers Union (SFSWU) and James appointed secretary of the SFSWU in June 1955. James worked as a trade unionist and adviser to other trade union leaders. Several university activitists gave up promising careers to become trade union leaders – Jamit Singh, Woodhull and Poh Soo Kai. The trade union movement strengthened. In 1956 Marshall travelled to England to negotiate for further constitutional advancement for Singapore. Talks failed and Marshall resigned. Lim Yew Hock became Chief Minister of Singapore.
1955
"I saw the Factory and Shop Workers Union grow like an amoeba, or a child who is starting from one single cell. By multiplication of cells it became the little child that is born." "[The Factory and Shop Workers Union was} created by the very left wing People's Action Party...
In June 1955, the SFSWU submitted a memorandum calling for Chinese schools to be accorded equal status in the local education system.
1956
There was this rally at the old airport. There was tremendous enthusiasm for Marshall largely supported by the left wing. I was there with Tony Schooling. We were watching this great meeting when suddenly the platform collapsed and everybody started running. David Marshall organised a petition and a public rally...
While Secretary of the Factory and Shop workers .... In 1958, while James was in detention in Changi, he took his theories a stage further, insisting that if racial conflict is not to develop, a start must be made to re-orientate Secondary Education in Singapore, with Malay as the national...
"... If anybody served the Communist interest as an individual at that time, Lee Kuan Yew served their interests the most." Lee Kuan Yew's group was very important in this whole thing. Of all the open leaders, I think Harry used to be the most important [to the Communists]. And...
Lim Yew Hock authorised the arrests of 300 activists and 10 organisations were banned including the Chinese Middle School Union. In October 1956 James was arrested together with Lim Chin Siong, Fong Swee Suan, Sidney Woodhull and Devan Nair. "... the Singapore Factory and Shop Workers Union (SFSWU) and the...
The group met at James' house in Serangoon Garden Estate. The plan was to take over the Singapore Trade Union Congress ("STUC"). The intention of taking over the STUC was to expand the power of the trade unions by "riding on the trust of the workers." The takeover never took...
Lim Yew Hock[10] was ruthless and was keen to show the British that he could control any disruptive influences in Singapore. On 18 September 1956, Yew Hock used the Preservation of Public Security Ordinance (PPSO), which allowed him extraordinary police powers, to dissolve seven organisations and detain seven people, mainly from...
Police raided the SFSWU HQ at Middle Road and arrested the leaders under the Preservation of Public security Ordinance. On 8th November 1956, a detention order was issued by the Council of Ministers on the recommendation of Special Branch for 5 of the union leaders. Lim Chin Siong was kept...
He is the ablest Marxist amongst Lim Chin Siong's lieutenants.Special Branch