We always wished that Harry was not so authoritarian and Chin Siong was not so convinced of the people’s power.
Lee Kuan Yew moved a motion of confidence in his own government five days after the PAP loss in the Anson by-election. The motion was passed with 27 “Ayes”, 8 “Noes” and 16 abstentions. The members who voted “No” included David Marshall and members of the Singapore People’s Alliance. 13 allegedly pro-communist PAP members and 3 members of Ong Eng Guan‘s UPP abstained.
“The meeting of the dissident Members of the [Legislative Assembly] was held in my house on the 19th July. Part of it was my brother’s making and part of it is me. Lee Siew Choh, Sheng Nam Chin, Chin Siong, Fong and others. They argued and argued. I was not there all the time with them. Finally they resolved that they would abstain rather than voting against it. I think that as party members, many of them had qualms with voting against.”
The abstentions confirmed to Lee Kuan Yew that breakaway group were serious in their intent to seize power from him.
Lee’s view was that the PAP members who did not vote for his motion would be expelled for breaking ranks and pulling support away to Communist opponents and he did so, sacking the 13 and reducing his assembly majority to 1.
The issue of the release of detainees was also at the forefront of the fight between the two factions.
Lee managed to convince the Legislative Assembly that he was actually fighting to obtain the release of the detainees. This myth has firmly been debunked by the declassified minutes of the ISC meetings and shines a light on the devious machinations Lee masterminded to mislead the general public.
By calling for a vote of confidence on 20th July 1961, Lee had bought the PAP some breathing space but the party was still in a very precarious position. According to Goh Keng Swee, it was at this time that James came to see him in order to persuade him to leave the PAP and join the Barisan Sosialis. Although Goh remained loyal to the PAP he said about James “He was always a gentleman. I had plenty of time for James Puthucheary. So I said ‘All right, James, we part as friends’” (Book on Goh Keng Swee page 103)