NGOs to protest against politicising Interlok
KUALA LUMPUR: The Federation of Malaysia National Writers Associations (Gapena) and 21 non-governmental organisations will hold a gathering this Saturday to protest against politicising of the Malay literature textbook 'Interlok'.Gapena president Tan Sri Prof Emeritus Dr Ismail Hussein said the gathering to be held in front of Rumah Gapena (Gapena House) at 2.30pm, was to show unity among the Malays against any attempt by any quarters to politicise literary works to serve their own interest.
"We are against such politicising as Gapena champions Malay literature, and in this case (Interlok), it is a literary issue. We will defend the writer and the novel's content and intentions," he said at a press conference on the planned protest gathering.
Also present were Malaysia National Writers Association (Pena) president Mohamad Saleeh Rahamad and Gapena media head Borhan Md Zain.
Ismail said burning of copies of the textbook and photographs of the writer (national laureate Datuk Abdullah Hussain) in protest by a group of about 100 people in Klang recently, which could have been prompted by irresponsible statements made by certain politicians and community leaders, should not be viewed lightly.
"We are concerned about the questioning of the integrity of the author and his literary work, especially by politicians in a harsh tone, like they are trying to gain political mileage by purportedly looking after the interest of their community," he said.
Interlok, which was written in 1971, tells about the daily struggles of the Malays, Chinese and Indians from before the country's independence through the eyes of three main characters, Seman, Chin Huat and Maniam, and their families.
However, several individuals and Indian organisations have protested and want the novel banned due to certain words and phrases on page 211 and 220 pertaining to the caste system which they deem offensive and inaccurate.
Mohamad Saleeh said Indian politicians and community leaders in this country should be wiser in handling such an issue by acting as peacemakers to calm the situation, instead of making statements that could create an unhealthy situation.
"We don't want this to happen after the prime minister in his statement yesterday asked the Indian community to select their representatives for a dialogue with the government on 'Interlok'," he said.
According to Borhan, several NGOs had agreed to attend the gathering. They include Ikatan Persuratan Melayu dan Persatuan Kebajikan Penulis Negeri Selangor (Kemudi), Federation of Peninsula Malay Students (GPMS), Pertubuhan Kebajikan dan Dakwah Islamiah SeMalaysia (Pekida) and Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia (Perkasa), as well as a number of silat associations.
In another development, Borhan announced that Gapena would hold a Malaysia-Indonesia Friendship Forum to discuss issues involving the two neighbouring countries at Rumah Gapena at 10am this Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Malaysia Malay Language Educators Association (PPBMM) has called on the Education Ministry not to entertain calls by certain groups for 'Interlok' to be withdrawn from the Form Five syllabus.
Its president Assoc Prof Dr Hashim Othman when contacted said withdrawing the book would prevent the younger generation from understanding and accepting the historical developments and social reality involving the country's three major races as depicted in the novel.
He also said that by entertaining the demand, a lot more issues would be raised or conroversies created from old books or history books that contained certain disliked words or phrases in regard to the three communities.
He said the use of 'Interlok' as a required school text was in line with the importance placed by the government on the History subject, including making it a must-pass subject in the SPM examination.
"Interlok was written to be read with an open, rational mind, and not to be burned to fire up negative emotions," said the Universiti Sains Malaysia lecturer, referring to the book burning incident. - BERNAMA
Indians just love to burn things. They burn their dead ones and they do that to a literary work too. Just proves that they lack the grey matter too.
I remember Datuk Sosilawati and her companions that accompanied her to meet the Indian lawyer had been murdered and burnt with cow dung, a traditional Indian way to burn bodies quicker than normal.
Before you burn anything, take a good look at yourself. Siapa makan cili, dialah rasa pedas. Futhermore, have you pariahs read Interlok before rampaging like a crazed chimpanzee?
If you think that what is portrayed in the novel is inaccurate, prove it by changing your behaviour and culture. Instead, your childish acts have proven that you are ignorant and closed minded.
Don't deny your pariah caste status because that is what you are. Just because you are of pariah caste, why do you have to act like it? You should work hard to prove that you are otherwise, unlike what the majority of us think of you pariahs.
The fact is that, everyone knows the how uncivillised Indians can be and how they are prone to be involved with crimes.
Therefore, areas where there are many Indians or Niggers (who are known to be involved in black money scam) are considered black area or where crimes normally occur and those areas will be avoided by the other races in Malaysia.
This is a fact and it is happening right now. Now, I will avoid those areas like a plaque because I had lived where there are many Indians and Niggers renting at one condo in one area at one time and that place has crimes occuring there daily.
Safety is the most important thing for anyone and surely I don't want to be the next victim of crime so now I will not rent anywhere where there are many Indians or Niggers living at that particular area anymore.
Our government should definitely stop the Niggers from entering our country again because they are only causing us social problems and crimes.
I am racist. Come on! Just admit it. You are racist too. If you aren't, you won't be in DAP. I don't like black people or KJ or anything black because most of them are also have black heart as well.
So, black people, Indians, Niggers or KJ. Don't come anywhere near me because I think that you are bad influence on others.
Malays have been accomodating enough towards the other races. Only the other races have been discriminative and racist towards the Malays and we had enough.
