REACTION IN MALAYA

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29002, 17 September 1959, Page 17

REACTION IN MALAYA

“Ban Causes N.Z. To Lose Face”

(New Zealand Press Association) WANGANUI, September 16.

New Zealand has lost face badly in Malaya over the exclusion of Maoris from the All Black side for South Africa, according to a report from a “Wanganui Herald” staff reporter, David J. Inglis, who is now visiting South-east Asia.

Mr Inglis reported today that New Zealanders would find it difficult to credit the manner in which the New Zealand Rugby Union’s decision has been emphasised. New Zealand, he said, had long been regarded as a “top example of integrated living—a subject very dear to the nationalistic millions of South-east Asia.

“Our country was regarded as one of the foremost among world states supporting democratic integration of white and coloured races. Now it is seen in the opposite light—a supporter of South African apartheid. “Whether we like it or not, New Zealand, to the Asiatics, is part of South-east Asia and they like us. even though they consider most of us very ignorant of their problems.” The N.Z.R.U. decisit n was generally believed in Malaya to have been a New Zealand Government one and had been accorded banner headlines in some papers, Mr Inglis said.