MEMORANDUM • HEARING SUBMITTED TO THE COBBOLD COMMISSION – IV

MRS TRA ZEHNDER – MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL NEGRI

Twenty groups, consisting of more than 400 people, appeared before the Commission at its second sitting on Wednesday. Nine of the groups were said to be from the anti-Malaysia Sarawak United Peoples' Party, eight from the pro-Malaysia supporters of Party Negara Sarawak, and three were described as "independents".

The first person to meet the Commission was Mrs Tra Zehnder, a Dayak and only woman member of Council Negri. She later said that she did not represent any organisation and had appeared before the Commission merely as an individual.

Mrs Zehnder added that she agreed with the Malaysia Plan in principle, but was concerned over the national language issue and the question of the election of Head of State, as well as over the question of religious freedom.

Memorandum Submitted to the Cobbold Comission – III

PARTI NEGARA SARAWAK (PANAS) MEMORANDUM

The PANAS delegation, led by the chairman, the Datu Bandar Abang Haji Mustapha, and the Secretary-General, Abang Othman presented its memorandum to the Cobbold Comission first sitting in Kuching.

The Datu Bandar told the press afterwards that it was a' 'friendly meeting'' and that there had been no disagreements.

Asked whether any points had been raised on the Party's memorandum, the Datu Bandar said that the Commission had suggested that his Party should "ease up" on the question of special priviledges for the indigenous peoples as it might affect the feelings of non-natives.

He added that his Party would not press hard on this but he had pointed out to the Commission that the Natives had more privileges given by the former Rajah of Sarawak than those contained in the memorandum issued by the Malaysia Solidarity Consultative Committee.

The Datu Bandar also said that his Party had full confidence in that the Commission would give a fair hearing to all concerned.

*Anybody who has the exact memorandum and documents by PANAS, please let me know at zulfaqar19863@gmail.com