INTERLOK – MUHYIDDIN MUST RESIGN!

by Eyes Wide Open

HartalMSM was at the NIAT press conference on a bright sunny Saturday morning (7 May). Dato Thasleem started the conference with a recap of the Interlok saga.

Dato Thasleem had referred to several academicians and politicians in countries such as the US, India, Singapore and others. The consensus was that if a textbook causes controversy, it would be withdrawn.

However in Malaysia’s case, Datuk T Murugiah had initially promised in December that the book would be removed from the SPM BM KOMSAS component. Later, the DPM cum Education Minister disregarded the protests and even his own minister’s statement and railroaded the book through into schools and children’s minds.

Dato Thasleem also revealed that even the Education Ministry’s own senior officials had serious reservations about using Interlok as a KOMSAS novel. So who is the hidden hand that pushed Interlok forward, despite the controversy and protests from concerned citizens? Whoever it was, it is clear that the intention is far from national integration and harmony.

HartalMSM has got the DBP publishing standards, and it is clear that based on those criteria, Interlok should not have been approved – but it was. NIAT has shown that Interlok does not meet the Education Ministry’s textbook selection criteria, but yet it was approved.

The DPM and other Interlok supporters stridently defended Interlok as an accurate reflection of the races in Malaysia, and serves as a valuable handbook for racial integration. However, HartalMSM has revealed the Ministry’s highly racist and ideological Study Guide and Lesson Plan.

With the rising number of media reports of racist bullying in schools, surely using Interlok as a compulsory text is unwise to say the least!

In light of all these controversies and dubious political shenanigans, Dato Thasleem demanded that Muhyiddin resign as the Education Minister, for his utter failure to manage the Interlok issue satisfactorily as well as his strident campaign to forward the Ketuanan Melayu agenda into school classroom using Interlok.

We couldn’t agree with more with Dato Thasleem!

And as Mr Arun Doraisamy, the NIAT Secretary pointed out, since 2008 there have been a long parade of controversies resulting from the Education Ministry. From the reversal of the PPSMI policy and the ensuing battle with PAGE, to the rising number of racial incidences in schools, to the schools problematic & ideologically slanted History syllabus, to the reduction of the number of subjects allowed to be taken for SPM, and many other issues. The Education Ministry (and by extension the Education Minister) has shown itself to be blatantly incompetent and dangerously ideological.