Interlok panel can’t do much

Amending the offending passages in the controversial book is nothing short of insulting the author, says NIAT.

KUALA LUMPUR: The National Interlok Action Team (NIAT) says that the independent panel tasked with amending contentious passages in Interlok would not make much of an impact.

Its chairman, Thasleem Mohamad, told a press conference today that “there is nothing much to edit” when asked why NIAT did not wait for the revised version of the book from the panel.

The panel was formed on Feb 16 after talks between Indian and Malay NGOs over the controversial Form 5 book ended in a deadlock.

NIAT committee member Bala Tharmalingam, meanwhile, said that editing the book will also be deemed as an insult to the author, Abdullah Hussein.

He added that amending the passages in the book will also not change the storyline, the moral of the story and the racial stereotyping.

Thasleem, however, said NIAT had confidence in Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and that the latter would come up with a judicious decision.

“We have full faith that in the interest of 1Malaysia, the prime minister will remove the book,” Thasleem said, adding that NIAT submitted a 30-page report on the matter to Najib yesterday.

He also said NIAT would hold a peaceful rally with police permit next month if the Education Ministry failed to resolve the issue.

A million copies of the 30-page report would also be distributed if the novel is not revoked.

Efforts by NIAT to cooperate with the Malaysian Muslim Youth Movement (Abim) and allied coordinating committee of Islamic NGOs to oppose the usage of Interlok are also underway.

Thasleem also urged Muslims on the panel to view the book from a Muslim perspective and quoted verses from Surah Al-Hujurut and Surah Al-Akraf which forbids anyone from insulting another.