Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 38, Number 26. 1975

Political Prisoners

Political Prisoners

Hundreds of Malaysian patriots are presently imprisoned under the notorious Internal Security Act. These prisoners, including Juliet Chin. Khoo Ee Liam. Wong Siong Seng and Syed Hussein Ali, have been detained without trial.

Juliet Chin is a Malaysian citizen who was a student leader in Singapore. Last year she was deported from Singapore for engaging in political activity. As soon as she returned to Malaysia she was arrested and jailed under the Internal Security Act Juliet Chin is now imprisoned indefinitely, but she has never been put on trial.

Khoo Ee L.am and Wong Siong Seng are both Malaysian citizens who studied in New Zealand Both were arrested some after their return home and are still in prison Three of the accusations against Khoo relate to his alleged activities while he was a student in New Zealand and Australia.

1. That while a student at Canterbury University he "actively participated in the activities of the pro Peking New Zealand/China Friendship Society and was in close association with known members of the New Zealand Communist Parry."
2. That while in the same University "he in collaboration with two pro Communist elements in New Zealand attempted to join the Malayan National Liberation Army of Malaysia", and,
3. That while a matriculation student in Melbourne. Australia, "he has studied a great variety of Communist literature and publications and on many occasions indulged in serious discussion with members of the pro Peking Australia China Friendship Society in order to enhance his knowledge and belief in the Communist ideology."

The news of Khoo's arrest caused a storm of protest in New Zealand last year The detailed nature of the charges against him showed that he had been under close surveillance while he was a student in New Zealand and Australia.

The New Zealand Government protested against Khoo's imprisonment and a wide range of New Zealanders joined in the campaign to free him Eventually the pressure on the Malaysian and New Zealand governments was so great that the outspoken Malaysian High Commissioner, Jack de Silva, was withdrawn and sent to South Korea The New Zealand Government told the Malaysian authorities that any attempt to penalise a Malaysian student for activities which were lawful in New Zealand would be an attempt to extend the laws of Malaysia to New Zealand The Government also said that such a prosecution would raise serious questions of academic freedom and civil liberties of which New Zealanders were proud.

Syed Hussein Ali was a prominent academic at the University of Malaya at the time of his arrest. Ali will also face at least two years imprisonment without trial Like the others, he could be in jail for life.