‘If Interlok stays, MIC should leave’

An Indian business group tells the party to quit Barisan Nasional if its stand on the matter is not respected.

PETALING JAYA: MIC should pull out from the Barisan Nasional coalition if the controversial Interlok novel is not removed from the school syllabus, said an Indian business group today.

Malaysian Indian Business Association (Miba) president P Sivakumar said if the Cabinet resolved to retain the book despite MIC’s strong protest, it would be nothing short of disrespect.

“Following yesterday’s meeting between Indian reps and Education Ministry officials, the Indian community is waiting to see if MIC is powerful enough to remove the book,” he told FMT.

“The decision to remove the book should have been made the moment MIC objected to show respect to the BN’s long-term component party.

“MIC president G Palanivel repeatedly aired his dissatisfaction, he was inflexible in his stand and the BN leadership should have heeded this,” he added.

Take legal action

Sivakumar also urged MIC’s central working committee member S Vell Paari to make good on his threat to take legal action if the Interlok novel was allowed to remain in the syllabus.

“He should proceed with the court action if the Cabinet decides otherwise, the Indian community is very angry and something must be done about it,” he added.

Last week, Vell Paari said he was considering filing a writ of mandamus to compel the Education Ministry to remove the book.

The Interlok novel had been incorporated for the Malay literature subject for Form Five students starting this year.

MIC and other Indian groups said the book, penned by national laureate Abdullah Hussain in 1971, contained inaccurate facts about the community and used the disparaging term “pariah” (outcaste).

However, certain quarters like the National Writers Federation (Gapena) defended the book, and rejected the calls for amendments to be made.

Meanwhile, Sivakumar said apart from the offensive term “pariah”, the author had also made baseless sweeping generalisations about the Indians.

“It is strange that educated groups like Gapena can defend such offensive words. Does the organisation want to see students taunting each other and getting involved in fights because of this?

“Is this how a responsible institution like Gapena hopes to promote racial unity?” he added. - FMT