Breakaway

In 1968-1969 breakaway groups from MSSAs around the country formed separate students associations representing Malaysian students only. At the time, and ever since, there have been claims that the split was the result of pressure from the Malaysian High Commission. In his recent statements about "communist subversion" Mr De Silva has stated that MSA is the only body that can represent Malaysian students in New Zealand.

At the last SRC meeting the President of the Wellington MSA, Mr Steven Oh, denied that his association was a puppet of the High Commission. Mr Oh (whose statement criticising Mr De Silva's recent remarks is printed in the letters column in this issue) said MSA was an independent body and that all students were welcome to participate in it.

Saturday's ACM, attended by about 150 Malaysian, Singaporean and New Zealand students, was in uproar shortly after it began when the Executive's report was presented. A section of the report attacked Mr Cornelius Derado, one of the three presidents of MSSA this year, in very strong terms. After a lot of procedural wrangling, a motion deleting this section of the report was carried narrowly.