Perkasa: ‘Immoral’ to amend, withdraw Interlok

PETALING JAYA: Pressure group Perkasa is against amending the Interlok novel, calling the decision unfortunate for the writer and the Malay race.
According to Perkasa secretary-general Syed Hassan Syed Ali, it would be best to withdraw the book and replace it with another, instead of making changes to a work penned four decades ago.
“If there is a need to withdraw the book for the purpose of racial unity, then withdraw it. Perkasa believes that if the book is replaced with another on grounds of racial unity instead of political interests, it will be accepted by all,” he said.
“This is not a school textbook which is found to contain errors, this is the labour of one man, and it is wrong and immoral to make changes without the consent of the author. It’s a violation,” he added.
However, Hassan said that if the author agreed to the amendments, Perkasa would feel ashamed for the entire Malay race.
The Perkasa leader was responding to Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s statement yesterday that the book would be amended and then introduced in schools.
Indian groups, including MIC, protested against the book being used as a component for the Malay literature subject as it contained inaccurate and disaparaging remarks about the community.

‘Know your history’

Meanwhile, Hassan said that Interlok, penned by national laureate Abdullah Hussain in 1971, did not intend to belittle any particular race.
“The word ‘pariah’ or the ‘pariah’ caste is still there. Since back then, those from this caste were brought to Tanah Melayu to work on the estates owned by the British.
“They can no longer be called ‘pariah’ because they are far better (economically) than those from their caste back in India then and now,” he said.
“And if the ‘pariah’ caste still exists, it was because of the labelling of the Indian community itself and not by any other race.
“Those here cannot be called ‘pariah’ because they are (economically) better off. It is different if the rich Indians call their poorer counterparts (by that name),” he added.
The Perkasa leader said that Indian youths must know the history of the caste system and the mention of it in history books or writings was not done with the intention to offend.
“Will Hindraf and MIC abolish the word ‘pariah’? Previously, the late (MIC vice-president and later IPF president) MG Pandithan admitted to being from the caste and was sacked from MIC for all sorts of reasons.
“There are also Indians here who admit to being from that caste. History cannot be erased just like how the history of pirates becoming sultans cannot be erased; this was also mentioned in school books and the sultans never got upset about it,” he said.
After the Interlok controversy erupted, Perkasa had conferred an award on the author.