By Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Penang on Wednesday, 19.8.1987:
Australian Government should inform Malaysian Government before taking any action deport Malaysian student
The DAP is very concerned by the latest press reports that the Australian Education Department has confirmed that 171 foreign under-graduates, mostly Malaysians, face deportion if they do not settle the increased Overseas Students’ Change fee soon.
The reported increase in Australian university fees has created a great burden and hardship on Malaysian students pursuing higher studies in Australia. It is the responsibility of the Malaysian Government to help Malaysian students in Australia, to ensure that no one is deported purely because of financial problems created by the repeated increases of Overseas Students’ charge fees.
The Malaysian Government, through the WIsmaputra and the Education Ministry, should contact the Australian Government at the highest level to ensure that no action would be taken by the Australian authorities to deport any Malaysian student until the matter had been referred to the Malaysian government.
When the matter has been referred to the Malaysian Government, the Education Ministry work out a scheme destitute students who could not pay the full sum of the Overseas Student’s Charge fees could get assistance from a special fund established especially for this emergency purpose.
It is not only heart-breaking to the student and family if an undergraduate had to break off universities half-way for financial reason, but a great loss to the national as well.
The Malaysian government should also be concerned about the great hardship faced by Malaysian students in Australia, who had to work under ‘slave-like’ conditions for a pittance to make ends meet. Malaysian students are grossly exploited and underpaid just to get earnings to supplement their expenses in Australia. The Malaysian High Commission in Australia should be directed to make a full study of the plight of these Malaysian students in Australia, and propose ways whereby the Malaysian Government can alleviate their hardships.