Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Vol. 38 No. 22. September 11, 1975

Opposites enter into struggle

Opposites enter into struggle

At last, the Wind has died down and the dust settled. Everything becomes clear. Two distinct forces, diametrically opposed to each other emerged in the overseas arena. There has been much controversy, allegations, rumours and claims, hut events of the past two months make it unrefutable — their words and their deeds and the principles on which they stand.

Let us have a look into the Chin-Oh duo and their MSA:

A display claimed to be a 'Malaysian Exhibition', but was definitely at least 50 years behind time. Even my conservative grandmother, if she had been there, would walk out cursing and complaining that she had been subjected to such intolerable museum stuff for the umpteenth times since her childhood days!

Night foil, someone murmured through closed eyes and clapped hands, "hope they will come up with something more intelligible." But no, all hopes were shattered. First come the tourist promotion film "Pearl of the Orient". The whites were shown still the masters of those colonial days with little yellow and brown Asians hanging around their knees with bashful smiles eager to please their masters. And all those comical and naive people leading a hard and tortuous life, yet happy and grateful that their half-starved families still survive!!

Leaving those simple little people and their white superiors behind (may God bless them) the night proceeded on with a Fashion Parade. Figures whirled, silk and satin dresses fluttered and lights flashed on and off, rounds of catcalls, whistles and applause. What a lovely sight! How elegant! But unfortunately, the stark reality at home impinged on one's mind and could not he shadowed by those silk veils. Those millions of half-naked rural children. Those well-worn and tattered clothing they stood up in, those neglected beggers dying by the road side. No, our conscience won't allow us to forget the sufferings and miseries of our people. Our integrity and the moral values we stand for can never be divorced from the truth.

Following the Fashion Parade, were more bourgeois dances exhorting feudal and court culture.

As a Malaysian, I was utterly disgusted at the bias of the whole programme. The cultures and lives of the people were totally distorted. What a big heap of pro-government propaganda and bullshit! No wonder big brother Tharmaratnam, the Malaysian High Commissioner and his staff were beaming and full of praises for sonny Oh and Chin. Surely, they deserve a big subsidy to organise the Malaysian Ball on August 30 and a grand celebration!

Such functions, claimed to be non-political, have serious implications if not countered and exposed. It is well known that we have in Malaysia, hundreds of political prisoners, thousands and thousands of squatters, landless peasants and starving people, the ISA, the Universities and University Colleges Amendment Acts, a reign of terror and repression, no political freedom — a totalitarian state. Yet here we are, a group of Malaysians led by Mr Oh and Mr Chin in Wellington suffering no repression or mal-nutrition, dancing, drinking and laughing — singing praises about their prosperous and happy Malaysia and telling "A Donkey Story" and God (Salient, No. 20).

Fortunately, " God" always creates a balanced world. There exists another class of Malaysian students who are concerned with reality and the well-being of their people — who refused to be elites and who are not ashamed to tell the world that their, brothers and sisters at home don't have a roof over their heads and can't afford 3 meals a day.

A Malaysia-Singapore Solidarity Week was held throughout the main centres of New Zealand. The students put up an excellent exhibition depicting the social realities and the political, economic and historical situation in Malaysia and Singapore. In conjunction, there were slide shows and film shows, discussions and forums. I find it extremely valuable, that this other side of the story that had been for so long distorted censored and being denied to us — was so well organised and presented to us. May I extend my unreserved and sincere congratulations to the Malaysia-Singapore Solidarity Week organisers.

Yours faithfully,

Thunder Bird.