Remove Interlok, remove Muhyiddin

In a collective stand, Pakatan MPs call for the revocation of the controversial book and for Najib to replace his deputy in the deliberation process.

KUALA LUMPUR: Pakatan Rakyat MPs today made a collective stand, calling for the immediate withdrawal of the Interlok novel.

They also wanted Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to be removed from the deliberation process based on the three Indian representatives quitting the independent panel, tasked with amending the book.

“Muhyiddin should be taken out and (Prime Minister) Najib (Tun Razak) should replace him,” DAP MP Charles Santiago told reporters in Parliament.

PKR MP Johari Abdul urged the government to take heed of the people’s voice. “If the people say it is sensitive, accept it lah.”

Johari also took a swipe at the government’s decision to edit the book after a firestorm of protest, especially from the Indian community.

The book, penned by national laureate Abdullah Hussain, courted controversy when it was introduced as a component for the Malay literature subject for Form Five students this year.

“This is the work of a national laureate, how are you going to edit the gist of the work (without violating the author’s right)?” asked the PKR MP.

DAP’s Teluk Intan MP M Manogaran said the matter must be resolved quickly as the students would sit for their SPM examination in November.

He urged the government to apologise and immediately retract the book from the syllabus.

The press conference was also attended by MP Dzulkefly Ahmad (PAS-Kuala Selangor), M Kulasegaran (DAP-Ipoh Barat) and R Sivarasa (PKR-Subang).

The three panellists had walked out complaining that 100 suggested amendments were shot down, but Muhyiddin, who is also education minister, said this was because it concerned “minute” details.