In May 1959 PAP, with the support of the left-wing movement, won a landslide victory in the election. Lee Kuan Yew pledged that he would not take office until the six leftwing leaders were released.
On polling day, Mavis was visiting James at Changi Detention Centre, when Lee Kuan Yew arrived with two packets of kuey teow. Lee was a little surprised to see Mavis there. While James has gone to the kitchen to get some plates an utensils, Lee asked Mavis what the civil service thought of the PAP victory. Mavis’ reply was not what Lee had expected and James quickly returned to change the subject! James was alone at the detention centre as the others has asked to be transferred to St. Johns Island.
Thanks to the Subversives Clause, the political detainees were not allowed to stand for election. By preventing Lim Chin Siong and other leftwing leaders from standing as candidates in the 1959 elections, Lee Kuan Yew was able to deny them the opportunity to participate in policy making and play a role in deciding how the country ought to be run. He admitted as much to Sir William Goode:
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.