The University Socialist Club (abbrev: USC) was a left-wing student group active from 1953 to 1971 that played an important role in the politics of colonial Malaya and post-colonial Malaysia and Singapore. Members of the club played a significant role in bringing independence from the British Empire and in debates over the shape of the post-colonial nation. The club was instrumental in the formation and early success of the People's Action Party (PAP) and later, the Barisan Sosialis Party. Prominent members of the Club included Wang Gungwu, S.R. Nathan, Poh Soo Kai, Sydney Woodhull, Lim Hock Siew, and Tommy Koh and M. K. Rajakumar.
Background
As the end of World War II fostered national independence movements across the world, increasingly nationalistic sentiments in British colonies threatened the British pre-war empire. Decolonization was expected by both the local nationalists and the British rulers. At the same time, the burgeoning Cold War was also driving cultural and ideological change. When the club was formed, Singapore was still under the control of the Emergency Regulation, which was imposed by the colonial regime throughout the peninsular Malaya and Singapore against the communist insurgency. Underground activities of the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) was seen as a threat by the British. In one typical example of anti-British activity and response, 35 students of the University of Malaya were arrested in January 1951 for participating in the anti-colonial movement as the members of the Anti-British League (ABL). The socialist club was formed in 1953 under the influence of nationalism, decolonization and modernism.
Beginnings of the club
The beginnings of the club can be traced back to the political discussions held by the medical students of the University of Malaya. The discussion then expanded to include students from arts and science faculty at the Bukit Timah campus (13). In October 1952, the medical and arts students held a debate in the lounge of the Road Hostel, proposing the concept of a general political debating club.
On 21 February 1953, the inaugural meeting of the club was held. During the meeting, the proposal to call the club as a socialist club was adopted. The members of the Central Working Committee (CWC) were elected; Wang Gungwu was elected as the first president of the club with Oorjitham as secretary general and Woodhull as publication secretary. The constitution of the University Socialist Club was drafted as follow: To stimulate student political discussion and activists. To propagate socialist thought. To support the University of Malaya Students' Union in demands of students' rights. To study the means of unity in Malaya. Also reflected in the constitution of Club above, the club was made in a flexible and open manner so the membership can be given to any individuals who have alternative political views as long as those opinions are in favor of anti-colonialism.
In February 1954, the magazine issues by the club which was mainly circulated within the campus known as the organ of the Socialist Club adopted the name of Fajar (Fajar means "dawn" in Arabic). In March, the first issue of Fajar was produced.
The Fajar Trial
In May 1954, the members of the Fajar editorial board were arrested for publishing an allegedly seditious article named "Aggression in Asia". However, after three days of the trial, Fajar members were released. English Queen's Counsel D.N. Pritt acted as the lead counsel in the case and Lee Kuan Yew who was at that time a young lawyer, and Tann Wee Tiong assist him as the junior counsel. The eight members of the Fajar editorial board who participated in the trial are shown as below. Seniors: James Puthucheary (honors' year arts) Poh Soo Kai (3rd-year medicine)
M.K. Rajakumar (4th-year medicine) Lam Khuan Kit (3rd-year arts) Kwa Boo Sun (3rd-year arts) Freshman: P. Arudsothy (1st-year arts) Edwin Thumboo (1st-year arts) Thomas Varkey (1st-year arts)
The actual number of the board members who are arrested was nine instead of eight if including Jeyaraj C. Rajarao (1st-year arts). However, only eight members stayed in the Fajar trial because Jayaraj resigned from the board after his arrest and interrogation in May 1954.