MALAYSIA GOVERNMENT GIVES RM50,000 TO MALAYSIAN STUDENTS IN AUSTRALIA
Launching the programme here, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek urged the students to show leadership in fostering the 1Malaysia spirit and to include Australian students in all "Rakan Muda" activities.
He told the students not to move about in cliques. "In Britain, Malaysian students stick together. The same (goes) in the US (United States) and Australia. Even in Indonesia, they don't mix with Indonesians despite speaking the same language," he said.
"And even among Malaysians, they have exclusive Selangor groups, Terengganu groups, Johor groups..."
The Minister called on the students to take the initiative to foster friendship and to intermingle with Australians.
In welcoming the Minister, student leader Haerris Riani said that because of the overwhelming success of Rakan Muda since its inception in October 1994, the programme had been extended overseas.
"There are more than 60,000 Malaysians pursuing higher education overseas and Rakan Muda will promote unity and goodwill among students," he said.
Haerris said he hoped the Malaysian Government would continue to look after the welfare of Malaysian students.
Zaharuddin Shamsuddin, from the Malaysian Student Department in Sydney, said the money (RM50,000) would be used to promote activities that would include Australian students too.
"I have asked our student leaders from Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia to submit a list of activities for approval," he said.
-- BERNAMA
