International Law, History & Policy - Centre for International Law

Singapore in the Early Years 17
a formal request to appear before the Committee as he believed
that his government had a good case. Originally scheduled to
leave New York for London, Lee decided to postpone his trip to
await the arrival of the CJA members. 38 Lee was sure that they
had planned to be in New York after he had departed for London
so that they ‘could have a big bash’ at him. He thus decided to
‘call their bluff ’ by postponing his departure. 39
Hearings commenced on the morning of 26 July with Lee
Siew Choh leading the submissions. That afternoon, Lee Kuan
Yew and Goh Keng Swee put forward the government’s case. Lee
led a brilliant point-for-point rebuttal of the opposition submissions
and provided a lucid and comprehensive background to
events, 40 which obviously persuaded members of the Committee.
41 Marshall arrived in time to speak on the morning of Monday
30 July. The opposition’s main champion on the Committee
was the Soviet Union’s Valentin Oberemko who felt that a ‘gross
deceit’ had been perpetrated against the people of Singapore. 42
However, the rest of the Committee would not be swayed. The
38 ‘Hear Both Sides – Our Case is Good, Lee tells UN’ The Straits Times,
25 Jul 1962; and ‘Lee Requests UN Hearing’ The Malay Mail, 25 Jul
1962.
39 ‘Kuan Yew: ‘I have Called their Bluff ’ The Malay Mail 26 Jul 1962.
40 See UN General Assembly, ‘Petition from Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Prime
Minister of Singapore’ A/AC.109/PET.18/Add.1, 26 Jul 1962,
DM/169/4/1; and UN General Assembly, ‘Verbatim Record of the
Eight-Seventh Meeting’ A/AC.109/PV.87, 27 Jul 1962, DM/169/5/1,
David Marshall Papers (ISEAS Library).
41 India’s AB Bhadkamkar told Reuters that Lee had been ‘extremely
convincing’. See ‘Victory for Lee Almost Certain’ The Malayan Times,
29 Jul 1962.
42 ‘Soviet ‘Gross Deceit’ Cries Raise No Echo’ The Straits Times, 2 Aug
1962.