James and Abdullah Majid were staying with Robert Kuok in Johore Bahru when they learned of the ABL detentions. James and Abdullah Majid immediately returned to the University campus. Abdullah Majid had told James that Joseph Tan and Lim Chan Yong had tried to speed up Abdullah Majid and Tan Seng Lock’s entry into the Malayan Communist Party (“MCP”). This meant bypassing James as the leader of the Bukit Timah group and placing Abdullah Majid and Tan Seng Lock above James if they were granted MCP membership.
Back at the campus, James and the others were expecting to be rounded up. James managed to get Wang Gungwu and other student leaders to convene a meeting of the student council. The student population was generally sympathetic to the student detainees and saw the rounding-up as politically unjust – a manifestation of British colonialism.
During the council meeting, James initiated the formation of a sub-committee by the student union to help student detainees. he regarded this as a triumphant move as the sub-committee was later formed and offered assistance like books and donation for the student detainees.
“Before my arrest, Silcock the acting Vice-Chancellor called me as I was leaving the meeting and said, ‘I want to speak to you. Are you involved in any way with the communists?'”
“I thought about it for a little while and said, ‘You know, Professor, if I were, I would not tell you. And if I told you was not, you would not believe me. So what’s the purpose of answering?'”
Later that night, the police raided the hostel and detained James.