Press Statement by the KLSCAH Youth Section
Three States’ Chinese Assembly Hall Youth Section urge the Ministry of Education to withdraw “Interlok” as Form Five syllabus for Malays literature on the ground that this controversial novel is only suitable to be a counter-example for secondary school students to learn about racial discrimination, but not as a literature textbook.
After reading through the novel “Interlok”, Chinese Assembly Hall Youth Section of Kuala Lumpur & Selangor, Melaka and Negeri Sembilan have issued a statement today, stating that the Ministry of Education shouldn’t select this novel as the compulsory textbook for the students at this time when the Perkasa is repeatedly yelling for Malay supremacy. This will be seen as an action to help race based political parties like UMNO to continue its social construction through racial discrimination and biasness, which will further destroy the interracial relationship among Malaysians.
Although this novel depicted the era from Japan Occupation until Malaya gained its independence and how Malays, Chinese and Indians strived for survival during that period, the content of the novel is full of racial discrimination and biasness. Besides reinforcing the stereotype of Chinese and Indians are outsiders and immigrants, Chinese are deceitful and greedy, this novel also unconsciously promotes the idea of Malay supremacy in many of its chapters. This is exactly what a race based political party like UMNO would need to serve its political agenda.
Hence, Muhyiddin Yassin as the Minister of Education and Deputy President of UMNO is responsible to explain the considerations of the Ministry of Education to choose this novel as the compulsory literature textbook for Form Five students.
The three states’ Chinese Assembly Hall Youth Section also condemn some of the commentators who define this book as historical writing as there are a lot of factual mistakes in the book, for example Chinese Anti-Japanese Army was depicted as wanting to build a small China in Malaya and Indian society was described as thinking that the Indian government takes better care of the Indians compared to Malaya government. These do not reflect the comprehensiveness of the historical reality.
The three youth groups respect the freedom expression of every writer. However, they are in an opinion that political agenda should not be embedded into educational affairs. Thus, the Ministry of Education should not have amended the school syllabus and selected “Interlok” as the compulsory textbook unless it is treated as a counter-example of racial discrimination.
Lastly, Kuala Lumpur & Selangor, Melaka and Negeri Sembilan Chinese Assembly Hall Youth Section hope that civil societies which concern about racial relation in Malaysia should recognize the “Interlok” issue and do not treat this as a problem only faced by one single race.
Ng Chong Soon
Chairman Of KLSCAH Youth Section
