The cabinet has directed the Education Ministry to continue discussions with interested parties, including an MIC-appointed representative, on the Interlok novel issue until a satisfactory solution is reached, MIC deputy president Dr S Subramaniam said.

He told reporters today the decision was made after Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also Education Minister, tabled the outcome of a discussion on the issue, which was held on Tuesday, to the cabinet yesterday.

The discussion on Tuesday was attended by 22 representatives from various organisations, including six representatives from MIC. It was chaired by Deputy Education Minister Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi.

Subramaniam, who is also human resource minister, said no conclusive agreement was reach at the discussion.

"However, it served as a beginning where the issue was explained, but it has to be discussed further until a suitable solution is reached," he said when met at a Thaipusam celebration which was also attended by Prime Minister Najib Razak at Batu Caves today.

He said no time frame was given to resolve the matter.

The use of the novel, authored by national laureate Abdullah Hussain and published by DBP, as a textbook for the literature component of the Bahasa Malaysia subject for Form Five, caused a controversy when several quarters claimed that it contained elements deemed offensive to the Indian community in the country.

- Bernama