MSA reply to Criticism

As the committee of the Wellington Malaysian Students Association, it is our responsiblity to defend the good name of the committee and the many conscientious students who have been involved, one way or another, in our community activities. Our Association is not a political party nor a political organ, and as such there is never any intention on our part to deliberately misrepresent anyone or any group of people. If the critics in your paper last week had listened more attentively to the narrator, they would have heard her saying "..I can assure you that it (the scene) is not all that typical nor difficult as it appears to be.."

This refers to tourists having language or communication problems when having meals in a multi-racial country like Malaysia, and which formed the basis of the light dramatized sketch.

Our Association is a group of voluntary community workers. What we are trying to do is to create as many opportunities as possible, for Malaysians, Singaporeans and other interested persons, to interact with each other. Simultaneously, we are also trying to provide an atmosphere whereby we can all realise and share our talents or capabilities for the benefit of the community.

It it regrettable that the sketch has been read through a narrow and politically tinted glass. What is even more regrettable is that such criticisms may stifle other people from participating in such healthy non-academic activities; activities that are natural and normal to people like us if we were, for example, in the University of Malaysia.

We have already suffered enough of the social ostracization here in New Zealand, and further criticisms like these does nothing but demoralise well-meaning people who have sacrificed their time and efforts to promote a richer and more meaningful life here in the campus, or Wellington for that matter.

What keeps us going is our ideals and we will continue to work as hard and as tirelessly as before. And because we know we have done no wrong, we are confident that many of the students here in the campus support us in the activities we have undertaken.