南大和南洋理工大學很明顯的是兩間不同性質﹐而于不同時期﹐建立在雲南崗上的大學﹐南洋理工大學要冒名“南洋大學”的潛在原因是甚麼呢﹖南大和新大的合併會在新的南大歷史裡被刪去嗎﹖從1981年到1991年南洋理工學院的非南大歷史會涂掉嗎﹖冒名與1980年合併有何關係呢﹖冒名是因為南洋理工大學當局熱愛南大校友和南大嗎﹖南洋理工大學裡的西洋文化可成為南大的續辦嗎﹖南洋理工大學會跟着去冒用真正的南大校門牌坊和“1955”嗎﹖這些問題都不是“正名”和“復名”可以解答的。

南大止于1980年﹐有不少南大校友認為﹐能在雲南園裡重新引用“南洋大學”的名字﹐是值得歡迎的﹐不必計較南大和南洋理工大學之間的差異﹐這是短期錯誤的觀點﹐我們必須以長期的眼光來仔細審察。

長期和正確的觀點﹕南大著名的歷史早已經深刻在岩石上﹐永遠的記錄為東南亞華僑歷史裡輝煌的一部分﹐永垂不朽﹐這是誰也改變不了的。任何從2005年開始的“南洋大學”﹐不會有實質的意義﹐也不可能會混進真正的南大歷史裡。可是多出了一部2005年後的新南大歷史﹐很明顯的是荒唐之事。兩間大學的差異是會越來越清楚的﹐南大的後代在將來(2020年左右)﹐一定會責問我們﹐為什麼在2005年沒有阻止如此荒謬之事。他們會問﹕爺爺我愛你﹐我不要新的爺爺﹐你熱愛南大﹐為什麼你會要不同的南洋大學呢﹖

我們不要在將來會產生兩部分別不同的南洋大學歷史﹐更不要讓南洋理工大學纂改真正的南大歷史﹐所以我們應該趕快禁止該大學不適當的採用“南洋大學”之名。從社會良知來看﹐南洋理工大學冒用“南洋大學”專名﹐是完全不合道德的行為。南大校友的支持行動是南大確保其至尊名聲的最後一線希望﹐至少我們要簽名支持﹐要求南洋理工大學當局放棄採用“南洋大學”之名﹐這是身為校友們應盡的最低義務。將來大家可以驕傲的說﹕我有簽名請願去阻止南洋理工大學。

現在是採取行動的時候﹐盼望馬來亞校友會和多倫多校友會能像以往一樣﹐儘快負起領導作用﹐號召校友們簽名請願﹐把請願名單附加于2004年出版的第三集南大歷史裡﹐記錄下南大校友再一次的鬥爭。

Do Not Counterfeit the Historical Legendary Name "Nanyang University"
February 26, 2003 Zhu Yong-An Nantah Math 8

Twenty three years after its demise, the name "Nanyang University" represents the magnificent Nantah history which is already cast in stone to be remembered forever. Nantah's miraculous beginning and success in fulfilling its mission are the precious and proud heritage of Southeast Asia Chinese. Now "NU" and "Nantah" in Singapore are legendary names in the history of overseas Chinese education. These names must be treated with greatest respect.

Nantah and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) are clearly different universities over different era on the same campus. What is NTU's ulterior motive for changing its name to "NU"? Will the merger of NU and Singapore University be erased from the new NU's history? Will the existence of 1981-1991 Nanyang Technological Institute be wiped away? Is it related to the motive of merging NU in 1980? Is it because NTU authorities love Nantah alumni and Nantah? Can the English culture in NTU be regarded as a true continuation of NU? Will NTU also counterfeit the real historical Nantah gate in Jurong with "1955"? All these questions can not be explained by a simple "FuMing" or "ZhengMing".

NU has ceased since 1980. Quite a few Nantah alumni like to have the name "NU" being used and alive again in YunNanYuan and ignore the difference between the two universities. This viewpoint is a short sighted mistake. We should take a long term point of view with careful scrutiny.

Proper long term view: After a long period of 23 years, the legendary history of Nantah has already been cast in stone and will be well remembered as a prominent part of Southeast Asia Chinese's history. This can not be altered by anyone. Whatever new "NU" started in 2005 will have no real meaning and will not be accepted as part of the real history of Nantah. But obviously it is absurd to have another history of new NU started from 2005. The distinction between the two histories of NU will become more and more transparent over time. The future generation of Nantah (say in year 2020) will surely ask us why we did not stop such nonsense in 2005. They will ask, "Grandpa, I love you and I do not want a new grandpa. You love Nantah so much, how come you wanted to have a different Nantah?"

We do not want two separate and very different NU histories in the future. We definitely would not let NTU modify the real Nantah's history. Therefore we must stop any incongruous use of the name "NU" by NTU. By common social criterion, it is unethical for NTU to adopt the legendary name "NU". The support of Nantah alumni is NU's last hope to safeguard the integrity of its good name. As Nantah alumni, the least we must do is to support a petition asking NTU to abort adopting the name "NU". All Nantah alumni owe at least this much to their good times in Nantah. We can then proudly say, "I have signed the petition to stop NTU".

The time to act is right now. Hopefully, Malaya Alumni Association and Toronto Alumni Association can again take up the leadership roles soon to gather support for the petition. To record yet another struggle of Nantah alumni, the signatories of the petition can be attached to the third volume of Nantah History which will be published in 2004.

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