Kuala Lumpur, Jan 26- The Malaysian Students Association of Japan (MSAJ) is dissapointed with the antics of supporters of Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who resorted to stepping on and burning the Japanese flag in front of Japan’s embassy here last today in protesting the Japanese government’s act of banning Anwar’s entry in Japan.
MSAJ president Zed Al Habshee Syed Abdul Hamid said: “We as Malaysians in Japan felt ashamed to meet with the locals or talk about the matter”.
“However, despite the incident, we are still being treated well here and are not receiving any pressure or negative effects from teachers, friends and other Japanese.
“In fact, the television station here were still broadcasting shows about attractive holiday places in Malaysia the same week the incident happened. That’s what made us ashamed,” he said in an e-mail inteview with Bernama.
He said this showed the greatness of the Japanese who always wanted to maintain ties with Malaysia.
Currrently, about 3,000 Malaysian students are studying in Japan, mostly in the districts of Kanto (Tokyo) and Kansai (Osaka), while others are in areas like Hokkaido, Tohoku, Shikoku and Kyushu.
Most of them are taking engineering courses.
Last Tuesday, about 30 supporters of Anwar gathered outside Japan’s embassy here to hold a protest demonstration over Anwar’s denial of entry into Japan.
Anwar was banned from entering the country on Jan 19 by Japanese immigration over his conviction on a bribery case in Malaysia in 1999.
The ban was meted out under Japan’s strict immigration laws.
– Bernama
