 The front cover of Interlok | |
| Author | Abdullah Hussain |
|---|---|
| Language | Malay |
| Genre | Historical fiction |
| Publisher | Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka |
Publication date | 1971 |
| Publication place | Malaysia |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover & Paperback) |
| ISBN | 978-983-62-8750-2 |
Interlok is a 1971 Malay language novel written by Malaysian national laureate Abdullah Hussain. The novel was included in the syllabus for the Malay Literature subject as compulsory reading for students in Form 5 (Secondary 5) in schools throughout Malaysia. Interlok caused a controversy when detractors claim that the novel contained derogatory words to describe Malaysian Indians, such as "pariah" and "black people". The largest Malaysian Indian political party, the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), demanded that the novel be removed from the school syllabus.[1]
On 21 December 2011, the Ministry of Education decided to change the novel to Konserto Terakhir, also by the author in 2012 for Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Putrajaya and Negeri Sembilan which are in Zone 2 respectively.[2]
- ^ "The hypocrisy surrounding Interlok". The Nut Graph. 17 January 2011. Retrieved 28 January 2011.
- ^ "Novel 'Konserto Terakhir' ganti 'Interlok' sebagai teks Komsas (The novel 'Konserto Terakhir' replaces 'Interlok' as Komsas texts)". Utusan Online. 21 December 2011. Retrieved 24 December 2011.