The government of Tun Abdul Razak is becoming frantic in its attempts to stifle dissent. Last year the Malaysian authorities arrested over 1800 students who had demonstrated in support of people who were found to be starving in Baling. Some of those students remain in detention. Not satisfied with indiscriminate arrests and detention without trial the Malaysian Government introduced new legislation that removed the few remaining political rights Malaysian students had.

Academic freedom curtailed

The new legislation, among other things, denied students the right to associate with "any society, political party, trade union or any organisation, body or group of persons who are engaged in political activity."

The new legislation also severely restricted freedom for Universities and teachers. Vice-Chancellors have become simply tools of the government and can act only with its blessing.

Malaysia's new laws mean that students have been left with only one political right ... the right to vote.

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.

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Malaysian and New Zealand governments was so great that the outspoken Malaysian High Commissioner, Jack de Silva, was withdrawn and sent to South Korea The New Zealand Government told the Malaysian authorities that any attempt to penalise a Malaysian student for activities which were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.

Interference in New Zealand's affairs

There has been a long history of attempts by the Malaysian Government to intimidate and spy upon Malaysian students in New Zealand.

In 1969 the Director of the Malaysian Students' Department (which was based in Sydney) wrote to a group of Malaysian students at Auckland University telling them to break away from the Malaysian Singapore Students' Association and to form an exclusively Malaysian student organisation.

In 1971 the Manawatu Evening Standard' reported that a senior Malaysian student had said that he had been offered a bribe to form an MSA at Massey University.

In 1973 the Malaysian High Commissioner, Jack de Silva, claimed that Malaysian students in New Zealand were being subverted by Communist propaganda. He alleged that the Chinese Government and the New Zealand Communist Party were responsible De Silva's claims were strongly refuted by students, university administrators and the New Zealand Government Finally Tun Razak admitted to the Malaysian Parliament that the allegations were without foundation.

In 1974 the Malaysian Government's intimidation and interference reached new heights with the arrest and detention of Khoo Ee Liam.

An armoury of repressive laws

Demonstrate against Tun Razak

As Prime Minister of Malaysia. Tun Abdul Razak is responsible for the vicious repression of the Malaysian people Don't let him forget it.

We must show our support for Malaysian students in New Zealand in then struggle for political rights. We must also demonstrate our solidarity with those Malaysians who are struggling for national independence and social justice at home.