The Malay Consultative Council ( MPM) with their call to boycott Indian leaders, is basically holding Umno to ransom.

Either that, or alternatively it's a cleverly engineered plot by Umno to raise fear of unrest in the community similar to Perkasa, 3 Line, Rela etc whenever the Umno hegemony is challenged.

Whether MPM is holding Umno to ransom or it is something engineered by Umno, it only goes to show the weakness of the Umno led government and its allies to deal with a national issue like ‘Interlok' that hurt the sensitivities of their fellow Malaysians Indians.

It is time the PM and his deputy, who is the education minister, prove to the nation that they are responsible leaders and would not condone planting and extending racism in schools and are genuinely interested in creating a multi-racial society.

Umno should not practice a national discourse that favours the insensitivity and unreasonableness of MPM over the frustration and disappointment of the Malaysian Indian community on the ‘Interlok' novel that creates a stereotyped structured racist curriculum.

The highly publicised statement of bigotry by MPM is a clear indication of disintegrating race relations in favour of Umno and its allies, who would rather bow down to such racism rather than steering it away to build the nation.

Umno and its allies, rather than going for political correctness, need to make a stand on humane and moral grounds and see Malaysian Indians as Malaysian.

Cowing down for the vote bank or a self induced threat and pressure to maintain the political hegemony is not going to solve their problem or for the opposition.

It is quite clear making ‘Interlok' a compulsory read in the schooling curriculum has created alarm within the Malaysian Indian community to dispute it outright and for it to be withdrawn.

Imagine the feelings of Malaysian Indians, who having toiled their sweat and blood for the development of Malaysia, are blatantly disregarded when issues relating to basic human rights and their concerns are raised.

P Waytha Moorthy is chair of Hindraf.