Reaction to Demand for Student Cutback

So successful is this process of structuring one another's perceptions that the National Government immediately reacts to a cut-back on the number of Malaysian students coming to New Zealand. New Zealanders by and large, and the National government ill-particular, do not have an independent view of themselves and neither do they have an independent, sensitive understanding of the complexi- page break ties of South-east Asian realites.

It is important to understand this because it puts into context some of NZ's foreign policy blunders. It means that when the Malaysian or Singapore governments misperceive as to what is happening in their own backyards, then it is very likely and highly probably that a New Zealand government (especially one with blind spots) would also misperceive the situation in South-Hast Asia.

New Zealand has therefore developed a diplomatic relationship with Malaysia and Singapore so that when the late Prime Minister of Malaysia visited New Zealand last December he could express Malaysia's "long standing and friendly relations with New Zealand" and "note with satisfaction that the relationship has progressed and remains Tree of any gigniflcant differences." This means that if you do what I want you to do and I do what you want me to do, we can both scratch each others backs.

During this visit Mr Rowling gave Tun Razak notice that the government had decided to give urgent consideration to assure the most equitable distribution of overseas students studying in New Zealands educational institutions. This was actually the consequence of the 1972 request from Razak to Kirk about Malaysian students in New Zealand. As early as 1972 the Malaysian government was concerned about its students studying in New Zealand, Australia, the UK, the US and India.