Son defends Interlok's author

BREAKING NEWS Thariq Abdullah, the son of national laureate Abdullah Hussein, today expressed regret that father's work ‘Interlok’ has been politicised by those out to make personal gain from the controversy.

Saying the work had been well-researched by his father, Thariq (right) added the critics were selectively reading certain pages, instead of the whole book.

"The book is a literary effort which depicted the Chinese, Malays and Indians growing up in Malaya. Coming from different backgrounds and viewpoints, they eventually unite to work together. That is the message in the novel."

"The book had been used by university students, so why the protest now? They should look at it from the bigger picture. Clearly, this is being used by certain irresponsible party to politicise a literary work," he said.

Thariq said his father was shocked by the controversy, but was steadfast in protecting his original literary work, which should remain unchanged.

He said several NGOs had also met his father to voice their support and he was grateful for it.

Before his father wrote ‘Interlok’, Thariq said he picked the minds of various academicians to ensure its contents were close to reality.

"The book was an actual depiction of the society then," Thariq said, adding his father was adamant in his bid to protect the book from its critics.

Thariq was present at the Gapena's protest this afternoon. A total of 30 NGOs operating under Gapena (Federation of Malay Writers Associations) were at the Gapena House in Kuala Lumpur to voice their support for the novel and Abdullah.

Clamour for Murugiah’s resignation

A number of the participants had accused Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department T Murugiah (below) of politicising the novel and demanded his resignation.

"He just entered MIC after being cast out by PPP, and he wanted to gain some footing in the upcoming elections."

"So he politicised the issue to gain support. The PPP has once called him to quit. Now, let us strongly call for his resignation from his posts as senator and in the cabinet," said one of the speakers.

Many too expressed their unhappiness over the burning of ‘Interlok’ in Klang last weekend.

A speaker said they would not stoop so low to burn photographs of Murugiah and others who backed the demand to ban ‘Interlok’.

Also present at today’s event along with some 60 representatives from various Malay NGOs and literary groups was was Gapena's deputy head II Dr Abdul Latif Bakar.

Actor Abu Bakar Omar, who was also there, called for the banning of Tamil and Hindi movies and soaps if the Indian community complained the novel did not represent true Malaysians.

"Most of the drama and film work from India are fiction and do not represent the real society there. They should also be banned. Such films and drama should stop from being allowed into the country."

During the two-hour event, an eight-point resolution was also drawn up:

• Reject any allegations that Interlok is a novel that had degraded the Tamil community;

• Reject the proposal to withdraw the use of Interlok as a literature component to be used in secondary schools;

• Reject any proposal to amend any text in the novel;

• Protect the freedom of the author to write, being a literary work within the legal framework;

• Seriously view the Tamil community politicising the book as a threat to the government;

• View the present debacle to politicise the literary work as wrong and hold that those who protest such works should face legal action, as it causes interracial tension;

• Urge leaders with government posts who make calls to withdraw or ban the book to resign, as such leaders have created distress, prejudice and unrest amongst the races; and

• Urge the Home Ministry to act sternly against efforts that are directed at affecting peace and public order following such protests against the book.