'It was solved through dialogue without seeing the protagonists burning effigies and threatening those who made the complaint.'

Row over azan: Koh says dispute being resolved

Swipenter: During last year's ‘Hungry Ghost Festival' in Penang, the din created by the entertainers caused some Muslims and even non-Muslims in the surrounding area to complain and request that the festival organisers restrained the performers from making such loud ‘music' late into the night as it was disturbing their sleep and affecting those performing their religious duties.

The matter was solved through dialogue without seeing the protagonists burning effigies and threatening those who made the complaint.

Wira: From Koh Tsu Koon's comment, one would come to the conclusion that the government is solving the problem by kicking it under the table and doing nothing about it.

Lover Boy: Looking at the behaviour of those 100 protestors and their actions, not forgetting their racist jingoistic utterances, I find it hard to be persuaded that we are talking about Islam being a religion that advocates peace in Malaysia.

In Egypt, after an extremist attack on the Christian Coptic, we see popular Muslim personalities acting as human shields. Those Muslims are not the same as those we encounter in this group of 100 in Malaysia.

Alamak: When it involved an opposition member who was framed, she was arrested under the Internal Security Act. In this case, it really did happen and all they did was say ‘it's being resolved'? These BN politicians are real scumbags.

Ummi Hafilda 'a new low for BN'

2cents Worth: PKR vice-president N Surendran, you are spot on. Umno is doing the limbo rock. Their desperation will drive them to do all kinds of antics. This Ummi Hafilda Ali resurrection shows that they are scrapping the bottom of the pot, starved of ideas.

This brainless move is just another nail in their coffin, which is now taking a metallic shine with numerous nails hammered in. The longer the general election is postponed, the better it will be for Pakatan Rakyat - more blunders and bungling are expected.

Docs: BN is pretty much scraping the bottom of the barrel in trying to dish out dirt on Pakatan Rakyat. Ummi's resurrection by Umno to ‘mud sling' Pakatan and Anwar is a testament to the sense of desperation in BN, particularly on Umno's part.

Singa Pura Pura: This is a personality that appears to embody and personify all that can ever go wrong with a man or woman. Never have I chanced upon another human form that is more repugnant to my mind and sight.

Has 'Interlok' suitability ever been reviewed?

Faz: It's not fair to single out Dewan Bahasa and Pustaka and the Education Ministry for the debacle as the book had been used as a social history textbook from 1970s onwards. Were those offending words not sensitive then? When was the change in sensitivity occurred?

My contention here is that if blame is to be apportioned, then political parties in the government of the day - interested parties such as MIC, IPF, Gerakan and PPP - should not be let go scot-free. They should have raised the alarms a long time ago.

Now, please do not worsen the situation even more. All interested parties should discuss and come to a final and fair solution for the sake of the nation.

Disgusted: Well said. The book could have been reviewed in consultation with representatives of all races and certain terminology like ‘pariah' could have been rephrased and replaced by less sensitive word such as underpriviledged Indians, etc.

Why be stubborn and insist on the use of such derogatory words which are sensitive to a particular race? All this could be solved with consultation. Nobody is against ‘Interlok' as a book, just the words used to describe a certain race, which are derogatory.

Imma Bee: With its assertion that all Indians who came to Malaysia were of the pariah caste, this book is a sure-fire recipe for racial DIS-integration, especially when hot-headed, couldn't-care-less teens are going to be reading it.

MIC wants 'pariah' dropped from Interlok

Muruges: The word 'pariah' is derogatory and laden with contempt and revulsion. There should be a discourse or pragmatic analysis on the use of such a word. Words matter greatly.

If Americans in describing history label Negros as 'darkies', there will be a huge outcry as darkie has a dark history. But they would not mind being called blacks or Afro-Americans.

Imagine an SPM question like: "Huraikan asal-usul kaum India di Malaysia..." and the answer: "Kaum India di Malaysia adalah keturunan pariah yang di bawa oleh British dari India untuk berkerja di ladang getah..."

We cannot allow this. I hope MIC and the government can come to an amicable solution.

David Dass: Why is a debate necessary? No one can defend the use of the term 'pariah' except in an academic setting. The word has acquired a derogatory connotation and is used in the English language to describe someone whose behaviour is bad.

The use of the term is not acceptable in India where the caste system orginated. Mahatma Gandhi described members of the lowest caste in India as 'Harijans' or children of God. Buddha, Swami Vivikenanda and Gandhi rejected the notion that caste was ordained by birth with Vivikenanda maintaining that it was not part of Hinduism. Buddha was steadfast in his belief that your caste status was acquired by your conduct in life.

In India, those who are of the Harijan or Dalit caste enjoy special privilages under the constitution, just like the Malays do here.

Louis: I believe that the government is purposely dragging its feet in solving this small issue. It is using this controversy to divert the public's attention away from its glaring scandals like a minister allegedly raping an Indonesian maid, corruption in high places and unending abuse of power.

Why is it so hard for the ministry to delete the offensive words or sentences from the book and replace them with terms acceptable to the Indian community? Maybe it felt that they are facts and gospel truths that cannot be changed. If that is so, it will be hypocrisy at best.

In the 50 years under Umno, our history had been disfigured beyond recognition. Our street names with colonial past had been changed. Even founders of certain cities had been altered just to please Umno.

All that the Indians are asking for is that certain offensive words be removed. Is that so difficult?

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