In 1955, “they [the PAP members] formed a new constitution committee in which I was made the secretary of the committee. During this time, my importance in the party and in the union had improved. So by the time the [party] elections were held, I had become reasonably [well] known among the Chinese speaking. No, I didn’t stand as a party candidate for the [Central Executive Committee] (“CEC”). When this committee was set up to do a constitution, I was dominated by the left as the secretary. Toh Chin Chye was the Chairman.”
“And I wrote this constitution. The Secretary is the person who really writes about the constitution. I don’t think [there were any disagreements on the constitution]. I put it forward and every once a week or once in two weeks we’ll have a meeting in Toh Chin Chye’s house where the principles were accepted.”
There was a need for a party constitution because it [the party] had grown so big. There was a dire need that the party should have some rational system. And so wrote the constitution. I proposed a system like the Labour Party but better. I suggested that these must be almost a Party Parliament if it should continue to exist. I put forward a proposal to make the [party] branches more powerful. The branches would be the effective unit of the party. They will elect a number of people who would go and sit the the kind of Party Parliament and make the resolutions. They would also appoint the Secretary-General and the Secretary-General would appoint those who would be kind of ministers of the party. And each year, after election the new Secretary-General will be in office.”
Lee Kuan Yew did not oppose these proposals. James felt strongly that it is important to have democracy in the party. This draft constitution never went into effect because of the arrests that took place and the materials being seized by special branch.