Interlok – Fuiyoh! School Textbooks Are “National Security” Now?!

natsec

by Eyes Wide Open

When was asked to comment on the demand by several NGOs to withdraw Interlok from schools, Muhyiddin dismissed their legitimate concerns as opposition politics, saying:

“The government, however, will not compromise as this involves national security.

Fuiyoh! National Security?!

"Pull it together, soldier! There's no rest in the fight to defend our country against the "No-Interlok" supporters!"

Interlok is one helluva novel in the government’s eyes, heh?

It seems like nobody remembers anymore that Interlok started out as an ill-informed, mediocre novel that nobody wanted to publish when it first came out in 1967.

After 4 years, Interlok’s status was raised in 1971 from “only a consolation prize winner” to “worth publishing, since The Malay Dilemma became 1970′s bestseller.”

When the author received his Sasterawan Negara title in 1996, Interlok’s status again received a boost to become a “Malaysian literary classic”. (Similar to how all of Dan Brown’s other mediocre novels became instant bestsellers after anti-Christian sentiments elevated his fictional “DaVinci Code” to “historical fact” status.)

Then, Interlok’s status was elevated again to “a good story to teach race relations to youths” to justify it as the compulsory text for the SPM BM paper.

When controversy broke out over its selection as a compulsory text, Interlok’s status was pushed higher into the stratosphere with people promoting it as “a novel depicting historical facts”.

Now, when the controversy refuses to die down, Muhyiddin calls it Interlok an issue of “Nationl Security”? Woah…far out, man!!

How is Interlok a matter of national security?!

According to Wikipedia:

National security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the nation-state through the use of economic, military and political power and the exercise of diplomacy….Security threats involve not only conventional foes such as nation-states but also non-state actors such as terrorist organizations, narcotic cartels and multi-national organizations; some authorities including natural disasters and events causing severe environmental damage in this category.

What an absolutely ridiculous statement by the Education Minister cum Deputy Prime Minister! Does he really believe that making Interlok a compulsory text in schools will ensure the survival of our country?!

Interlok is merely a novel, and not a particularly good one at that. Nobody opposes the book per se, contrary to what the propagandists would like the public to believe. What concerned citizens and parents are opposed to is using forcing our impressionable youths to read the book’s sordid portrayals of Malaysia’s major races. We especially oppose our nation’s future leaders being taught that these are the “historical facts of your race’s social background in Malaysia” and that the BN-style political solutions described in the book are the only way for the country moving forward.

"Ya, murid-murid! These are the historical facts of your race's history in Malaysia. Any pengkhianat negara who disagrees are a threat to national security."

To elevate this second rate story to the point of saying it plays a central role in matters of National Security is stupid beyond bounds!

Does the government now view NGOs and ordinary citizens who disapprove of the book as “terrorist organisations” opposed to the survival of the nation-state? Does that mean we qualify for the death penalty like other pengkhianat negara too?

At this rate, given a few more years, Interlok may make it to the prestigious pantheon of “Holy Book”!

Then the fun REALLY starts because we can then have religious crusades over Interlok, eh?

But I guess that isn’t really that far-fetched a notion, seeing how certain people view things.

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