In the 1950s newly independent Malaysia needed educated leaders and professionals to provide services. This is where the Colombo plan came in: a co-operative agreement with New Zealand to boost education in the region
Over 5000 students studied here across the 60s and 70s. RNZ Digital journalist Sam Mythen has just returned from a trip to explore that legacy.
Aiming to block communism's spread and foster increased living standards in developing countries, New Zealand provided Colombo Plan university scholarships to Malaysian high school graduates in the 1960s and 70s. Photo: Supplied
