'Interlok' withdrawn after discussion with Education Ministry and DBP: Murugiah
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk T. Murugiah, said the Public Complaints Bureau (PCB) had been deluged with complaints on some sensitive words in the book and, as chairman of the bureau, he believed that immediate actions should be taken to resolve the issue.
"I called on the Education Ministry, DBP and all the relevant parties to convene a meeting to discuss and make a consensus decision on the issue," he told reporters at the Parliament lobby on Monday.
Murugiah was commenting on a reader's letter published in a Malay daily on Monday pertaining to the withdrawal of the literature textbook on Dec 15.
The reader, M. Hanafiah A. Samad from Muar, Johor, said Murugiah had acted in haste when announcing the withdrawal of the textbook, when it should be done by the Education Ministry.
Murugiah said the issue of the withdrawal of the textbook was misinterpreted, and hoped it would not be prolonged for fear that it would create other problems.
"People misinterpreted this issue, so I want to offer an explanation. He (M. Hanafiah) said he wrote the letter based on history and his own experience, I understand that, but this is not a history book, this is a literature book.
"In a literature book, the language can be twisted. On that ground, we proposed to the Education Ministry to withdraw it and said that it was up to them if they want to keep it, but they accepted our proposal (to withdraw)," he said.
Interlok is authored by national laureate, Abdullah Hussain and displays a theme of integration of the three races, namely Malays, Chinese and Indians, as early as 1900's till the independence of Malaya.
If only now you're worried about racial issues, then why bother releasing it to us in the first place. Come on Malaysia. You're better than this.
1 comment:
it's just a plan game .
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