The campaign which began with NZUSA and a handful of Malaysian students is growing in its intensity, scope and base of support. Khoo Ee Liam is still in a Malaysian jail but more and more people are pressing for his release and are tracing a widening circle of political repression which put him, and many others like him, behind bars. Such trends were most manifest on Thursday night when Robert Pui, a Malaysian law student studying in New Zealand spoke to 300 people in the Union Hall on the matters of the Malay language requirement for malaysian entry into New Zealand universities and of the Internal Security Act of Malaysia.

The meeting was hastily arranged and advertised but nevertheless a large number of Malaysian students turned up to outnumber the New Zealanders by ten to one. This is but one indication of the courage that Malaysian students at Victoria are showing in protesting against the erosion of their right to an education and entry into civil liberties within New Zealand.

The forgotten students

Once Malaysian students were a forgotten section of the university population. They were known as hard workers, always the last to leave the library at night and often diffident at expressing themselves in an insular and alien society which places its prime values on conformity with its standards. Now, no doubt to the horror of the Malaysian High Commission, many Malaysian students are becoming active and articulating publicly and privately the problems and repression which once bound them to silence.

These problems are not the ones which orientation programmes and visits to student counsellors solve, for such problems in these areas are treated as an inability to fit into New Zealand society or a lack of knowledge of New Zealand expectations. No doubt such problems exist but the total conformity demanded is now becoming unacceptable. Instead Malaysian students are in the forefront of the campaign to release Khoo and also increasing numbers are realising that they can have a part to play in deciding then own destinies, both in New Zealand and in Malaysia. They are no longer content with being told what to do and remaining quiet.

Jack de Silva

Discriminatory requirements

The discussion on Thursday began with Robert Pui outlining the Kirk statement of June 18 which announced the restrictions on Malaysian students coming into New Zealand who from 1976 will be confined to those who have passed the Malay language test, The ridiculousness of the requirement that only Malay speakers can come to New Zealand universities, where the language will not be needed, was a central issue.

Opinion on the language requirement was varied from those who claimed that it was justified in Malaysia even though its timing was that of a "premature baby" to those who claimed that it was discriminatory policy in Malaysia as well. The reply to the "premature baby" metaphor was advocacy of abortion.

Much of the discussion centred on what avenues of action and protest should be taken, on the right of Malaysians in New Zealand to voice their opposition to the newly-announced Kirk policy and New Zealanders' rights to criticise what was going on in Malaysia.

Exporting fascism

Of course the restriction of entry is just another example of the relationships pertaining between the Kuala Lumpur and New Zealand governments. The language requirement and charges against Khoo are examples of Malaysian policy being extended into New Zealand. New Zealand aid to Malaysia, including troops under the ANZUK agreement and the Five Power Defense Pact, as well as police tracker dogs, are example of reverse interference.

Concerned people in both countries should protest in whatever way they can about the repression and the undemocratic methods. One issue raised — modest perhaps, but certainly indicative — was the eligibility of Malaysians and Singaporeans to vote in the forthcoming local body elections. The enrolment form asks the applicant whether he or she is a British subject. This wording, more akin to the days of Empire than to modern society, deters Malaysian and Singaporean students from considering enrolling. A subsequent check with Internal Affairs revealed that the term "British Subject" really means all Commonwealth citizens, Malaysians and Singaporeans in New Zealand for more than a year and in Wellington for more than three months may vote.

Those 'terrorists'

One hardy perennial which was brought up at the meeting was that of the "communist terrorists" who were attempting to destroy democracy which must be protected at the cost of civil liberties. This suggestion received a very unenthusiastic response from those present, even from the Malaysian Government apologists there. The fraud of Malaysian democracy was well documented. The university and University Colleges Act which suppresses political activity in the University colleges; the Sedition Act, which restricts freedom of speech, cases of government critics prior to the last elections being detained, the election thus being won by default. The most obvious and frightening act is the Internal Security Act, a catchall of oligarchic legislation somewhat similar to the Special Powers Act in Ireland which enable such things as the imprisonment of people for two years without being charged.

At the conclusion of the meeting Students Association secretary, Lisa Sacksen said she was intending to write to the Vice-Chancellor to have the University Council make a stand against the Malay language restriction on the grounds that the autonomy of the universities in New Zealand to decide their own entry criterion was being severely compromised.

Robert Pui is presently undertaking a speaking tour of New Zealand campuses and Jack de Silva will be forced to take notice if the meetings are as successful as the one held at Victoria.