INTERLOK – SHAMELESS LIES BY DPM & MEDIA

by Eyes Wide Open

Today could be one of the darkest days in Malaysian media for a long time.

Because the media chose to publish what is obviously one of the most blatant lies ever told by those in power, surpassing the “looks like me, sounds like me, but not sure if it’s me” episode. Surpassing even President Clinton’s infamous lie, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman.”

“Panel bebas setuju pinda 19 perkara dalam Interlok” bleats the Utusan headline. The Malay Mailreports that, “The decision to replace the phrase was among several other amendments that the Interlok independent panel…has agreed upon.”

How can this blatant lie be so boldly reported, when those who know anything about the issue know that ALL the Indian panellists had pulled out in protest?

HartalMSM was among the first to know and report when the 3 Indian members of the Interlok Review Panel pulled out after Muhyiddin personally overruled almost all of the panel’s March 4th recommended amendments to the Student Edition. These amendments were not only to the references to Indians but also to Chinese and Malays in the novel and were endorsed by the entire panel. The panel actually had high hopesthat these amendments would be made and the issue resolved.

But when it became clear that the DPM was not in a compromising mood, and that no further discussion was to be entertained by the rest of the panellists, the 3 Indian panellists quit in frustration. A press conference was held immediately and their reasons for quitting were clearly stated.

MIC President Palanievel tried to peddle the story that the 3 panelists - Sinar Harian deputy editor Uthaya Sankar, Professor NS Rajendran (Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris/UPSI) and G. Krishnabagawan (former Information Ministry official) – were still in the review panel, no one bought the stinking pile of BS and the news quickly died down along with Palanievel’s new-found activism.

Or so we thought. Little did we know that this big lie would pave the way for the even bigger lie being told by the DPM today.

Til this day, the panelists have maintained their stand that they are no longer part of the panel and they will only endorse the panel’s decision when all the agreed upon amendments from March 4th are implemented. In fact, Uthaya Sankar had just spoken at an Interlok forum last night, and had given no indication that he had any knowledge of what the DPM’s announcement today was going to be.

But of course, all voices opposing Interlok reasonably are ignored. None of the facts / reasons for not using Interlok in schools were ever given a single line in the media.

No, it was always about race, race, race. Specifically, it was about the Indian race acting up irrationally over a noble novel.

And now, the media has played its part to help the govt bulldoze Interlok’s political ideology into school children’s minds.

It has muted the voices of reason and concern.

Amplified the lies and painted them as truth with convincing words.

Justified the book with the lies being peddled by top govt officials.

And lulling parents and children into a false sense of security.

In doing so, the Malaysian media has cleared the way for the govt to pour Ketuanan Melayu doctrine into younger and more impressionable minds.

The Malaysian media has done the govt a big favour in helping pave the way for thousands of young Malaysian minds to be poisoned against each other.

For what? The puny salary that they need to feed their children with?

We hope the Malaysian media people realise that someday, someone they know and love will be taking the SPM BM paper too.

You may have the chance to teach your own loved ones to ignore the Interlok indoctrinations in school, but her friends may be buying it hook, line and sinker.

Then we’ll see if what goes around really comes around.

- Hartal MSM