But it must be a very strange state of affairs when a great plot is nothing more than the stating of the correct constitutional position. Were the PAP leaders expecting the British to say the constitutional rights were reserved for PAP leaders only? If not, why all this sensationalism? I am prepared to accept that this statement of the constitutional position was in reality a great plot if the PAP leaders would tell me what the British were trying to achieve by it.
One issue which James and others felt very strongly about was the continued detention of political detainees. James said he could not be part of a government that did not respect basic human rights. Despite his personal feelings, James tried very hard to prevent the split in the PAP by urging Lee Kuan Yew to release the political detainees and be more flexible and make concessions in order to unite the party under his (Lee’s) leadership. Had there been no Subversives Clause perhaps things would have turned out very differently because these leaders could have formed part of the government and Lee would have been more willing to making compromises. Instead we will see how further repressive measures were taken to eradicate any opposition in the years that followed.