ANALYSIS, Jan 20 — After a month of debates, no clear solution has surfaced over the “Interlok” controversy despite a meeting between Deputy Education Minister Puad Zarkashi and representatives of the Indian community yesterday.
The book’s author, Datuk Abdullah Hussain, and Education Ministry Director-General Datuk Abd Ghafar were also present in the meeting, during which MIC leaders and other community representatives sought to have the novel either withdrawn as a school text or edited to omit the word “pariah” — the source of the current discontent.
Academics and writers, including this writer, have argued the book should not be banned or defaced, but read and understood to obtain the context in which the word is used.
However, there has been an overwhelming reaction from the Indian community against the book.
They are calling for its removal as a Bahasa Malaysia literature text on the grounds that the use of the word is discriminatory, unfair, unjust and insulting.
The reaction puts the MIC and the government between a rock and hard place. It must now choose between Indians demanding for the book to be banned and the equally powerful Malay literary circle for it to be retained in its present edition.
One compromise, as suggested by academician Dr Chandra Muzaffar and others, is to delete the offending word. This seems to be the solution the government is heading towards after extensive discussions with both sides.
However, editing the novel to remove the word would require the permission of the author.
It is unclear if he would accede to the deletion, or whether the Malay literary circle that has rallied to his aid would approve of the amendment.
“Interlok” tells the story of the three races at the turn of the century through the eyes of characters Seman, Chin Huat and Maniam and their families in three chapters.
The fourth chapter describes how they “interlock” and become a people and a nation.
Critics of the book have pointed out historical and geographic inaccuracies in it, which they say tarnishes the book as a literature text, although the book is classified as fiction and not a historical text.
The huge controversy also comes as the battle for the January 30 Tenang by-election starts, and the “Interlok” issue could potentially influence the voting patterns of the approximately 1,800 Indian voters there.
Barisan Nasional (BN) is counting on their support to win the by-election against a concerted attempt by Pakatan Rakyat (PR) led by PAS to wrest the seat.
PAS is trying to keep the urban Chinese vote while making inroads into the Felda areas, a traditional Umno vote bank. Any votes the Islamist party gets from the Indians will be a bonus.
It is not yet clear yet how Indian leaders in PR plan to exploit the “Interlok” issue, but they have already taken positions in the Tamil newspaper condemning the use of the word and demanded the book be either withdrawn or edited.
The controversy also puts newly appointed MIC president Datuk G. Palanivel in a spot, having to take a tough stand in line with the demands from the Indian community.
This is his first serious test as MIC president. Palanivel has strongly backed the withdrawal of or amendment to the book.
So far, the Indian community has struggled to communicate to the country at large the source of its anger over the offending word.
Sociologists and political analysts are offering various clues as to why the word — commonly used the world over and without the same apparent connotations — has angered Indians to the extent of burning the book.
Political exploitation is one theory but behind the angst is also a feeling of helplessness that the community is fracturing and lacks a central uniting theme in their intellectual and cultural life.
It may also signal a resurfacing of the community’s deep-set resentment at longstanding discrimination, which saw fierce expression in the November 27, 2007 Hindraf protest, and months later, in the March 8, 2008 general election backlash. - Malaysian Insider
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