DAP Secretary-General and Member of Parliament for Kota Melaka, Lim Kit Siang, today issued the following statement:
DAP Protest against reduction of New Zealand university places for Malaysian students.
The DAP opposed to new government regulations to affecting Malaysian students intending to go to New Zealand and Australia for higher studies.
At a time when more and more Malaysians youths, especially non-Malays, find the doers of Malaysian universities closed to them, although they possess the requisite university entrance qualifications, any government move which will lead to further reduction of the opportunities of these Malaysian students to go abroad to further higher studies at their own expenses must be opposed and deplored.
The Government is taking a short-sighted policy to retaliate by imposing regulations on students intending to go overseas as a result of the student demonstrations in Australia and New Zealand during the Prime Minister’s visit.
The government should get to the root cause of the frustrations and discontents, not only of the Malaysian students in Australia and New Zealand, but in fact, of large sections of people in Malaysia itself.
Tun Razak said at his press conference after his return that Malaysia is a democratic country, and Malaysia students should not make a nuisance of themselves abroad but should return to Malaysia where they are democratic channels for them to express their views and they could hold public rallies if they wish.
Is the Prime Minister unaware that since August last year, the police has banned the holding of public rallies, depriving Malaysians of a fundamental right of liberty of speech and opinion? DAP branches throughout the country had applied to hold public rallies after August last year, only to be rejected:
In this connection, I am shocked to read of reports that the New Zealand government intends to reduce the allocation of university places for Malaysian students. The DAP pretests against any such reduction, for it will mean the further dimunition and reduction of higher education opportunities for Malaysians, in particular non-Malays.