'Interlok' withdrawal: A Sign of Malaysians Immaturity

The controversial Interlok has been withdrawn from national school syllabus, The Star Online reported this evening. The novel was deemed controversial as the word used is racially sensitive and derogatory in nature.

A thing to learn from this is that Malaysians are still not prepared to take sensitive discussions about their race to the main stream. Even to learn the nature of the situation in controlled medium like schools and universities are still considered unacceptable. However, I would love to point out the ongoing discussions and sometimes bashing of a race which is constitutionally placed to have 'special rights'. Well, that is a sensitive issue and very fair to say that it has offended many of the people considered to be Malay. More offensive to those who have worked hard and succeeded but seen as disabled who got lucky in this world because he or she is a Malay. But these things are discussed daily in the public life. And it is about constitution while the issue brought up in the Interlok novel is not. Well, biased? Politics.

Malaysians are still not able to discuss the lines that divide them through intellectual discourse. We cannot put the blame totally on the Government. We cannot put the blame partially on the Opposition either. This is about growing up and while some of Malaysians are already able to have intellectual discussions on these sensitive matters, there are majorities who still cannot. Education plays the most significant part. Why not the parent?

Parenting involves older people telling the young the right thing in Malaysia and most certainly not the kind of parenting that invokes and questions difference between right and wrong. It is always the case that what is deemed right to the parents must be deemed right to the children as well. That was how we were brought up. Unfortunately, the Malaysian parents fall under those who are categorised not being able to have intellectual discussions on these racial issues. That is why education in schools should be the medium to discuss about it. 

The Americans learn their literatures that portray the colour divided state of the nation. Novels like Mark Twain's The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn and The Colour Purple portray the coarse nature of the language used. However, Malaysians seem not be able to grasp the concept of discussing issues intellectually so that lessons can be learnt.

This is even more extensive in the politics. Among the politicians, I only see 1% from both the Government and Opposition that are able to confide the people with empirical and logical analysis of what they are talking about. Look at what Dr. CSL said before about Hudud and you will know what I meant. I wonder where did he get the numbers from. The other 99% of the politicians are just paid to shout and brouhaha in parliament or worse, on streets. A warning to aspiring politicians- do not become one when you really think you are not smart. It will bring the country to shame. Look at today's politicians and learn from their stupidity. Buang yang keruh, ambil yang jernih.-The Chukai Insider