Resolutions to the UMNO Government that wants to implement the Interlok book into SPM curriculum.

(MEDIA STATEMENT 24^th Jan 2011)

1. Immediately withdraw this book from the SPM curriculum.

2. We want an inquiry into the process by which this book was chosen, of all the available books.

3. We want the UMNO government to come public as to how they are going to prevent a repeat of this occurrence in the the name of national Unity.

Why Hindraf and HRP views this matter seriously and wants the Government to take immediate and positive measures to withdraw this book from the SPM curriculum:

The insinuations in the book are many:

a) The book casts sweeping aspersions on the ways of the Indian community.

b) The problems emanating form oppressive poverty caused first by the British then continues by the Malaysian Elite are portrayed as mere Indian ethnic characteristics. This is nothing but a subtle and mischievous attempt to negatively stereotype the Indian community to keep them oppressed and subservient.

c) That this is made a subject in SPM requires all children of all races who take up this subject to necessarily be conditioned to the stereotypes projected in this book. It is certainly not going to contribute healthy self images and peer understanding as these children grow up.

d) This in no way contributes to National unity. Wrong, mischievous and negative stereotypes can in no way contribute to unity. This is not a satire or a comic book. This is serious literature.

e) There are many lies in the book, so it does not even fit into the category of serious literature.

f) The many utterances in the book about Indians seems to emphasize the UMNO Ketuanan philosophy that Indians should be thankful for being given a chance to live here in Malaysia.

This kind of nonsense must stop some time. This cannot go on – 1Malaysia or not. UMNO must stop its nonsense of destroying national unity just in the name of national unity.