A Screen Hiding Oppression

It was most digusting and disheartening to read KOR's letter on the De Silva affair in last week's issue of Salient. It seems to me that the article is written in the exact tone of Mr De Silva's that we heard from the radio programme "Checkpoint".

In his article, KOR had been at pain to praise Mr De Silva for his "responsibility to look after you Malaysian students in NZ". This is total rubbish (it may be a day dream of KOR). Has Mr De Silva shown any concern for the suffering of our fellow student H.T. Lee who was suddenly deported this year? When he was in financial difficulty did you or De Silva bother to give him the hand?

Malaysian students must and do have the right to defend for their own interest, especially at the time when our so-called guardian De Silva tries to intimidate our fellow students in NZ and make groundless allegations on the educative and entertaining cultural concert organised by the fellow students in Otago University. For example, the second scene in the dance "When the Sea Roars" reflects the bravery and solidarity of our Malay fishermen in their struggle with the high sea for their lives and the last scene shows us how the poor fishermen unite against the oppression of the fishmonger. Frankly speaking, I have little knowledge about our fishermen, but through the dance I was inspired by the highly industrious spirit of our Malay brothers. But, why does Mr De Silva and some of his running dogs never praise the organisers for their great effort in putting on the concert which tells us the true livelihood of our countrymen? The answer is, as you will know, that the ruling regime have been trying hard to put up a beautiful screen on our country behind which the majority of our people are suffering and struggling for their lives. The motive of the ruling regime is simply to attract more foreign capitalists' to invest in our country. I feel ashamed when I read a news report that 70% of our economy is in the hands of foreign monopoly capitalists. On the other hand, Mr De Silva is here trying to protect the beautiful screen (such as those shown in the MSA cultural show). However, I don't think our country men can tolerate the existence of this beautiful but illusionary screen and it must be smashed very soon!