Malaya: The Communist insurrection, 1948-1953

Part two of this three part volume deals with the worst five years of the emergency from its origins and declaration in June 1948, to the assassination of Sir Henry Gurney, the high commissioner, in October 1951, and finally to the decision at the end of August 1953 to designate part of Malacca a white area. The documents show how the setbacks experienced in the first years of countering insurgency heightened tensions between Malays and Chinese, between military, police and administrative authorities on the spot, and between different department in Whitehall. They also disclose the results of the visit to Malaya by Oliver Lyttelton, the colonial secretary, which led to the appointment of General Templar as the new high commissioner in February 1952.