PETALING JAYA, MALAYSIA: Malaysian students in Australia are safe from the recent spate of violence against students from India, said Dr Mohd Nasir Abu Hassan, director of the Malaysian Students Department Australia under the Consulate of Malaysia.

"There has been no record of Malaysian Indian students specifically being targeted or involved directly or indirectly in any incident or racially-motivated attack in any part of Australia where they live and study," he said in a statement yesterday.

He was referring to the spate of racial attacks branded as "curry-bashing" in Victoria which resulted in a student being left in a coma after being stabbed with a screwdriver by gatecrashers at a party and another student suffering severe burns.

The recent violent acts have damaged the country's reputation even after Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd condemned the attacks.

Dr Mohd Nasir advised students to take all necessary precautions.

Read more:
» 'Curry bashings' strain Australia-India relations
» Ex-SAS head to lead 'curry bashings' response