More M.S.A.

The only notable thing about Tuesday's Special General Meeting was that it shouldn't have been necessary. A vote of 116 to 10 decisively revoked the A.G.M.'s decision to bar the Malaysian Students' Association from the use of Union facilities. That such a ruling was passed in the first place doesn't reflect much credit on the A.G.M..

Its defeat was at Tuesday's meeting, a foregone conclusion. Two hours of heated argument added nothing to knowledge of why the M.S.A. had received such treatment. Speaker after repetitive speaker made fiery accusations and oratorical exclamations to no more purpose than to abuse the perpertrators of the misdeed.

The mover of the repeal motion asked why so much shit (pronounced 'sheet') had been thrown at his association. This, he lamented, is politics. So he and other normally apolitical Malaysians proceeded to throw shit at their adversaries, to the extent in fact, of calling them 'filthy fascists'. The few M.S.S.A. people who spoke received unsympathetic but at least friendly rubbishing. Full treatment was reserved for interfering Europeans, people like Mike Macallum, and Dave Cuthbert, alias N.Z.U.S.A. president, alias a concerned Victoria University student.

A lot of those who spoke really shouldn't have bothered. But perhaps it all helped to relieve their frustrations. An early attempt to force a vote was howled down so there was obviously a need for this kind of pillory session.

The basic point at issue was really whether the Students Association should have the right to bar any club, whatever their political beliefs, from the use of its facilities. This meeting at least served as a warning for any would-be Machiavellians that such attempts would be strenuously resisted.