It made me happy that Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad showed his support and interest when he attended the unity dinner held in Bukit Jalil last Friday. In his speech, he stressed on the importance of racial integration in our society.

Students from various universities and schools as well as government servants took part in this project.

In UKM, a similar event was held by the Chinese council student community (CCC) in conjunction with the coming Chinese new year celebrations. Deputy Education Minister Hon Choon Kim in his speech said that more of such events should be held to promote cultural understanding and integration among Malaysians.

In UTM, students organised a cultural exhibition last Sunday but were shocked when the authorities insisted that the venue be moved from the hall to the corridor. It was like being asked to sleep on a stool instead of a bed. The incident left a sour taste on the students' tongue and gave them the impression that the authorities do not encourage cultural activities.

We are still wondering why we were not allowed to hold our cultural exhibition in the hall when other non-academic functions have been held there. I hope the deputy vice-chancellor or the university authorities will offer their explanation on why the students were denied the use of the hall. The authorities should at least try to clear up any misunderstanding.