On Saturday March 20th Deputy Prime Minister (Brian Talboys) said in a press statement to the Evening Post that the Government was proposing to limit the number of 'foreign students' entering this country for study purposes.

The rationale behind this move was that the regular increases in the numbers of overseas students was 'putting pressure on university facilities'.

At no stage did Talboys mention that Malaysian students were the ones he was specifically interested in, but it is rather interesting to note that the statement came from Malaysia itself (Talboys being in Kuala Lumpur at the time), and that Muldoon had previously made statements aimed at Malaysian students.

Malaysian Govt. Getting Shitty

It is a red herring to say that there is such great pressure on universities that the number of overseas students needs to be cut down, and it is obvious to anybody with half a mind that the move came about, because of the concern of both the New Zealand and Malaysian Governments about the growing political awareness, organisation and dissatisfaction of Malaysian students in this country.

After waiting a while to see if there were any major new developments (which there weren't) we paid a call on Don Carson (International Vice President of NZUSA) to elicit some background facts on the Post report and what had led up to it.

Don said that he had heard from a number of sources that there was going to be a quota system established, and that the announcement had come as no surprise to him, despite the fact that NZUSA was not consulted before the decision was made.

Present Students not Affected

He further added that the new regulations would not affect the students studying in New Zealand at present, and that the problem would occur for students who would want to come here in the future.

The decision had further ramifications. Not only would the input be restricted, but the students who were allowed into the country would be under stricter control because of the necessity, under the new regulations, of registration of students, guarantees signed by their parents, and the competition between and selection of the candidates.

Don was quite certain that influences in New Zealand (demonstrations against Razak and the election to power of a National government), while bringing about the decision earlier than would otherwise have happened, would not in the long run have altered its inevitability. If New Zealand had not put the brakes on Malaysia certainly would have.

Infamous Act Expanded

Possibly the most important part of the report from Kuala Lumpur was that it officially relayed the terms of a decision of the Malaysian government regarding the extension of the Internal Security Act to Malaysian students while they are studying in New Zealand.

The statement said that the extentions were 'not intended to apply to normal student political activities', and that it had been intended to use the legislation 'sparingly'. Unfortunately the University and University Colleges Amendment Act has rendered 'normal political acts' as being voting in the elections and nothing else.

Malaysians Denied Voice

The students in Malaysia are no longer represented by any national union (such activities being defined as subversive) and so now these regulations, if, as is a foregone conclusion, they are extended to New Zealand, will render the situation of the concerned Malaysian student very precarious indeed.

The assurance given to NZUSA by Talboys, that Malaysian students will enjoy the same civil liberties as New Zealanders, contradicts the Malaysian statement, but I cannot see the New Zealand government refusing any Malaysian recommendations on this matter.

In any case the interpretation of civil liberties questions by our elected leaders is subject to a great deal of conjecture, judging by the decision of the Magistrates Court on the Maori parliament protestors case.

Surveillance Will Increase

The recent decision on both sides will no doubt have a great effect on the political activity of Malaysian students in New Zealand.

With the last shred of protection stripped from them they will have to tread very carefully in the future. Don Carson is of the opinion that High Commission surveillance is not likely to cease in the near future, and is in fact likely to scale up quite comprehensively as the Malaysian Government gets more desperate in its fight against its own people.

We ask all New Zealand students at this university to help their Malaysian fellows in their fight against the repression by their government, because only with our help will they have any chance of anything quicker than a very painful and very drawn-out victory.