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Salient: Victoria University Students' Paper. Vol. 30, No. 3. 1967.

Malay students criticise

Malay students criticise

Aspb

The National Union of Malaysian Students (Pkpm) has severely criticised a Bill passed by the Malaysian parliament on January 20 prohibiting government scholarship holders from taking part in politics. The Union deplored this move which "would not only deny an individual the fundamental human right of political activity but also create two classes of students in Malaysia: those with political rights and those without."

In a statement Pkpm made it clear that "politics" in this context was a vague and ill-defined term "which could mean almost anything." "Does it cover political discussions, membership of the University Political Club and protests against the Internal Security Amendment Act? Surely, even without this move our penal code has provisions to cover anti-national activities." Students in needy circumstances as contrasted to the well-to-do ones, will be the ones denied this right of political activities.

"This discrimination, coinciding with the economic circumstances of the students will emphasise rather than bridge the difference between the haves and have-nots, and will work against the achievement of our ideal of an equitable society," the statement added.