Students were paid to see P.M.

Press, 21 August 1984, Page 13

Students were paid to see P.M.

PA Wellington The Malaysian High Commissioner, Mr Martyn Sathiah, has told reporters that his Government had subsidised 60 students who asked to be flown to Wellington to see their Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad. Students from the South Island especially would otherwise not have had a chance to see Dr Mahathir, said Mr Sathiah. He rejected suggestions that the students were flown to Wellington to convey a good image to Dr Mahathir and the news media. Malaysian news media representatives, including a television crew and press photographers, recorded Dr Mahathirs arrival, and the welcome. . - The students were guests on Tuesday evening at a reception for Dr Mahathir and his party at a Wellington restaurant, where the host was the Malaysian High Commissioner. A high-ranked staff member at the Malaysian High Commission in Wellington could not confirm on Friday

whether the students had been flown to Wellington at his Government’s expense, but said that that was “nothing unusual” The staff member, who did not want to be named, said that students were "frequently” flown around New Zealand at their Government’s expense. Controversy had flared early last week when the Victoria University Students’ Association complained that one of its Malaysian members had been warned by the Wellington police not to take part in any demonstrations against Dr Mahathir’s visit. No demonstrator has been present at any of Dr Mahathir’s engagements in ,New Zealand. The police said that they had only asked the unidentified student whether he knew of any protest plans. It was part of their routine checks before such political visits, they said. The Minister of Police, Mrs Hercus, said that the police had interviewed the student only to assess possible security needs.