Red Letter Day - Delegation from the United Kingdom House of Commons

Parliamentary debates. Dewan Ra'ayat (House of Representatives)

2nd November 1963

Saturday

MOTION

ADDRESS OF THANKS TO HIS MAJESTY THE YANG DI-PERTUAN AGONG (OPENING OF NEW PARLIAMENT HOUSE)

Sir John Barlow, M.P. (Conservative) (Leader of the Delegation from the United Kingdom House of Commons):

The Federation of the States of Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak and Sabah in Malaysia is the result of statemanship of the highest order, and creates a new State in the Commonwealth.

From the foundations laid in the past a new State is now emerging, and we assure you that although you are 8,000 miles from Britain we shall never forget you. Responsibility remains with us to help you in your years of maturity, and we hope that the Chair which we bring today symbolises the authority of democratic government.

This system of government has served Great Britain for centuries in the past. May it serve you for centuries to come.

Mr T. Fraser, M.P. (Labour) (Member of the Delegation from the United Kingdom):

Mr Speaker, the United Kingdom consists of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The people of those four countries did not always work together so amicably. Sir John Barlow is proud to be an Englishman. Equally, I am proud to be a Scotsman (Laughter). We are both proud to be citizens and servants of the United Kingdom.

England and Scotland came together more than 250 years ago by voluntary agreement. Our coming together, under one Government and one Parliament, has proved to be of mutual benefit to both countries and, we hope, of benefit to other Commonwealth countries too.

I have found it interesting to recall this development because you are also bringing together diverse peoples in Malaysia. And interesting too, because after all those years, Mr Speaker in our House of Commons still takes care to ensure that the voices of all the countries making up the United Kingdom are heard in debate. 

No part of the whole community served by a Parliament should ever be given cause to feel that its point of view is unexpressed.