Modular Infotech Pvt. Ltd. - DSpace

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45. We proceed a step further and say that it is reasonable to
assume that the great majority of smokers in Malaya are Chinese
labourers who were born in China.
46. There is some conflict in the evidence on the point of
internal movement of the Chinese labouring cla888s.
47. Weighing the statements made to us, we feel that the movement
of Chinese labourers from place to place in British Malaya is
sufficient to make it essential that a scheme of this nature, if introduced
at all, should be universal in British Malaya.
48. This local movement has not, however, nearlv the
importance in this connection that migration to China has .•
49. The adult male immigrants return set out in Appendix VI
led us to make inquiries of several witnesses qualified to speak on
the extent of migration between Malaya and China. A practically
complete turnover of the China-born Chinese in MaJaya every
seven years is held by them and accepted by us as a reasonable
assumption.
50. Trips to China with the intention of returning to Malaya
are extremely common, but there is also the steady infusion of
absolute newcomers to replace those who do not return from China.
51. Although a scheme of the nature under consideration might
perhaps be easily workable and reasonably effective amongst a
settled resident population, it might well be difficult to make operative
and impossible to make effective amongst a purely floating
population such as the opium-smoking people of BrItish Malaya. .
52. . We have been told by some witnesses· that periodic
re-registration and re-licensing would eliminate the importance of
the migration factor, but we have grave doubts aa to whether they
have given full weight to the practical difficulties of periodic reregistration
and re-licensing.
53. It does not appear to us to be possible to use the port of
Singapore as a centre for dealing with the details of registration of
Chinese immigrants when disembarking at that port. We feel that
the delays to which people bound for other parts of the Malay Peninsula
would be put must tend to prejudice the success of such an
attempt. The inclination of a through immigrant would always be
to hope that the matter would be put ri8ht at the other end if he
did not apply for registration when landmg in Singapore.
54. Our own knowledge of the port of Singapore prevents UIJ
from recommending that any efforts in this direction be made in
connection with immigrants on arrival there.
55. In any event, smokers resident in Malaya at the recurring
registration periods would have to be dealt with and that means
either great delay or incalculable inconvenieDce, unless registration
centres are opened all over the country.
56. This opening of branch registration centres appears to us
objectionable in that it must involve actual issue of registration
cards and licences coming within the powers of subordinates of
varying·ranks.