Lim Chan Yong, Joseph Tan and a group of them. And Lim Chan Yong squealed like a stuck pig. And Joseph Tan also squealed like a stuck pig. Then about five days later, they arrested all, the whole group. And the English-speaking revolutionaries got wiped out to a man. And Chan Yong went off to England to study medicine under a Special Branch stipend.”
James was arrested with Abdullah Majid, Loh Wah Lean and Tan Seng Lock. The police conducted a search of his room that he shared with his brother George and found nothing. James was allowed to carry some books, pillows and blanket with to the Special Branch offices at Anson Road. As he was leaving James told his brother George, “Let Dad know about my arrest from the papers. Tell mummy not to worry.”
At the waiting area, a Chinese inspector way eyeing James all the time and soon called him up. He informed James that he would not be allowed to carry his blanket, pillow and other belongings with him into the cell. James protested, saying that the British officer had earlier permitted him to take his belongings with him. During this commotion, Corridon appeared and said, “Young James, I heard you have been giving us some trouble. Come with me.”
James followed Corridon into his office where he he was questioned on his political involvement. James pleaded ignorance. Corridon then asked him to write a few sentences on Marxism that Corridon constructed. James did this badly as he was unable to grasp the entire sentences that Corridon made.
After that Corridon shouted, “Turkey” and in walked Khaw Kai Boh, the Assistant Superintendent. “Turkey” dutifully produced and opened a file in which James was shown a chart detailing the ABL hierarchy and the name and position of each ABL member on it. Corridon told James that he only had to admit his position on the chart and he would be released.
“They said, ‘We know everything about this. You have nothing to hide. Now would you agree that your position is here? If you agree you can go back to your university.'”
James refused to do so. Instead he continued to plead ignorance.
James, like the others who refused to confess their ABL involvement, felt at the time that they represented the vanguard of the movement towards the establishment of a new world order. Any sacrifice would be worth it.
Presumably sensing the futility of pursuing the matter further, Corridon allowed James to sleep on his canvas bed in the office that night. James slept soundly and got up at 6.30am. Corridon had been waiting for him to wake up so he could take him, Abdullah Majid and Tan Seng Lock to his quarters at Mount Faber.
Corridon was a really gentlemen. “He was very, very kind to me.” Kind, polite, and civilised. A fabian socialist but not really an intellectual in the learned sense but well read. Corridon enjoyed literature and poetry.
When the group arrived at Mount Faber, they were surprised to hear a tape reciting T.S. Eliot’s Waste Land. They spent a few days engaged in idle chit-chats and even played with Corridon’s children. James who was scheduled to take his 3rd year university examination did so in Corridon’s house.