Interlok: ‘Why are Umno and Ministers silent?’
By Patrick Lee, Free Malaysia Today
KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional politicians are keeping the controversial Interlok novel issue at an arms’ length, according to National Interlok Action Team (NIAT).
“We know that a lot of (people) within Umno and many ministers aren’t happy (with Interlok).”
“(But) BN hasn’t come out with anything. Why are MCA leaders keeping quiet? Why are MIC leaders keeping quiet?” asked Niat chairman Thasleem Mohamed Ibrahim Al-Haj.
Expressing dismay to newsmen today, he said neither he nor NIAT were pro-opposition as insinuated by BN leaders.
He said the group was willing to speak to parties from both sides of the political divide on the matter.
“For goodness sake, if I am a supporter of Opposition, why am I supporting 1Malaysia?” he asked.
Thasleem is particularly disappointed with the BN Back-Bencher’s Club (BNBBC) in parliament, which appeared to postpone meetings to unusable dates.
‘Islamic values sidestepped’
A letter by BNBBC secretary Ismail Haji Abdul Muttalib to Thalseem revealed that an initial March 30 meeting this year had been postponed to April 6, which was the Sarawak election nomination date.
In his letter to Thasleem, Ismail wrote that the meeting had to be postponed to an unmentioned future date, as many BN MPs had left for East Malaysia at the time.
Thasleem, in his revert to Ismail, expressed his unhappiness with the ambiguity of the later’s letter.
