stormquest, I stand by my statement; obviously, I cannot and will not reveal the facts.

If a father has had 6 females in a row, the 7th may be given away (some money is a big incentive); to try again for a son.

Yes, that is still the way of life.....for some chinese!

NottyMaus,

You wrote, “Btw, I know for a fact that baby daughter selling is still being practiced, maybe not so much for the money, but for want of bearing a son for an heir. The daughters getting too numerous and burdensome”

Burdensome? I’m sure Chinese women will have a thing or two to say about that bro. Make sure you get a helmet. : - )

On the other hand, if men regard women as burdensome, the men will end up with another kind of problem. According to the Times Online, “In China they are called ‘bare branches’, young men without wives or offspring, frustrated, rootless, drifting, disruptive. And there are a hell of a lot of them. Five years ago the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing calculated that one Chinese man in six was unlikely to find a female partner. That’s about 111 million unattached males. In other words, there are twice as many bare branches in China as there are people in the whole of Britain”.

Dear Temenggong,

I’m glad that you liked the story of the INA, the Chinese and the Japanese in Batu Pahat. It would be interesting to see if there are any survivors from that episode who can give us a more detailed account of what happened.

Yes, there are many such stories on how the different races interacted positively. Most are not recorded though.

Dear tmf,

You wrote, “I believe the author needed to address the caste status of the 2 Indian migrants to explain why they could be so close and open to each other during the voyage. Just like my father was closer to people from his own clan (Henghua) on his voyage to the then Malaya”.

There seems to be a false impression that “…many left India because of the caste system…” as was stated by SMK Taman Tasik Ampang headmistress Zaini Mohd Zin this past January. This is untrue. They did not leave because of caste.

The Indians have had a very long history with Malaysia, spanning more than 2,000 years. I am not going to go through all of it, but briefly during British times, some came as sepoys (soldiers), some were political prisoners for the Poligar and Anglo-Sikh wars, some were convicts, some were traders, some were professionals, but the bulk were indentured labourers.

British liberals were opposed to African slavery and thus got it abolished. However, British plantation owners needed a new source of labour. Within 5 years of abolishing slavery, British plantation owners secretly conspired with the British government to reintroduce slavery, under a new guise, “indentured labour”. The Indians were a replacement for the Africans. Over a million Indians were shipped to far flung parts of the British Empire. Some ended up in the Straits Settlements. You can watch all of this in this BBC video, “How Britain re-invented slavery” on youtube. It’s an eye opener.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMQbUajiIv4

Anyone traveling on a ship would naturally make friends, but not necessarily because they were of the same caste.

Dear tmf,

I am convinced by your rational argument.

Perhaps what the author wrote was a reflection of how people lived and their methods of survival in the old days of Malaya; I think I must go out just to buy a copy of the original, though I don't read malay very well.

Btw, I know for a fact that baby daughter selling is still being practiced, maybe not so much for the money, but for want of bearing a son for an heir. The daughters getting too numerous and burdensome.

Dear Stormquest, in Interlok, the author also wrote about how an Indian policeman saved a Chinese suspected to be a communist, a heroic act quite similar in essence to the stand-off scenario that you so kindly shared. In the book, if I remember correctly, that policeman is the son of the earlier migrant Indian whose status in India at that time stirred up the present controversy.

I believe the author needed to address the caste status of the 2 Indian migrants to explain why they could be so close and open to each other during the voyage. Just like my father was closer to people from his own clan (Henghua) on his voyage to the then Malaya.

How I wish all of us could read the whole book in it's entirety to better understand the book.

Here, this is how we worked together. Let this little boy teach you. Hand in hand.





http://www.sayaanakbangsamalay...&Itemid=75

Stormquest, thank you for sharing the story of the Chinese collaborators, Japanese and INA.

There are so, so many such stories of the many races interacting positively and standing up for each other during difficult times in the war and prewar years, May 1969, yet today Malaysians forget all this in their kiasu quest for wealth and dominance.

Dear readers, almost all great novels carry certain historical facts depicted one way or the other by the author. Tolstoy,s War and Peace, Dicken's Tale of Two Cities, Zhaou Shui Qing's Romance of The Red Chambers and they are classified under literature and not history.

Umno/Bn/Perkasa love the word sensitivity, but we should not follow their sense of inferiority. As I said, let sensitivity be their exclusive weapon and let them self-detract but we should not follow their silly foot step.

I find the education system despicable, but I can not and must not condemn an author writing a novel using certain historical facts as the background.

Ibrahim Ali rushed over to meet the 90+ old author not because he likes the book, Ibrahim Ali declared the author to be a Malay hero because some of us feel offended, that is offensive. But then Ibrahim Ali did not read the book and he did not know that the author depicted the Malays at that time as generally lazy, shamelessly collaborating with the Japanese invading army and even looting the Chinese shops when the Chinese were hiding from the Japanese.

The author is not a racist in writing the book, in fact the final message the author was trying to send across was that through all the thicks and thins, the fate and future of all the three races became inseparably interlocked, hence the title Interlok.

For those who are still not convinced, try to put your two hands together like you are praying and see how all your ten fingers became interlocked. It's time for some of us to say sorry to the author and see how Ibrahim Ali respond to our level of maturity.

As stated in the quotation by C.S. Lewis, literature not only describes reality but also adds to it. Yes, literature is not merely a depiction of reality; it is rather a value-addition. Literary works are portrayals of the thinking patterns and social norms prevalent in society. They are a depiction of the different facets of common man's life. Classical literary works serve as a food for thought and a tonic for imagination and creativity. Exposing an individual to good literary works, is equivalent to providing him/her with the finest of educational opportunities. On the other hand, the lack of exposure to classic literary works is equal to depriving an individual from an opportunity to grow as an individual.

INTERLOK teaches nothing.........unless its content used as basis for debate on racism.........Sial Betul !!!!

Most of the opinions here are commendable and especially that of "American". However I think we need to be cognizant of the fact that we, as a nation, are not ready for such blatant - in your face sort of truth - about our ethnicity. Its so clear. Look at the bashing dished out to some of the cool guys here and compare that to others who lashed out - fcuking the author and everything else in between.

There is no doubt that such things did happen, and in fact continue to happen to a lesser degree even today, that the Indians are called pariahs and the Chinese sell their daughters (a few fcukers in China even kill their daughters) and as I said in my earlier post, there is a disturbing trend of Malays screwing their daughters.

But the actual fact of the entire matter is that the citizenry have not matured and cannot reconcile themselves to the facets of their own ethnicity. We haven't even learned to laugh at ourselves, for God sakes!!! And here we are, having a stupid fcuked up government trying to push this literary work down the throats our youths, when the government themselves are in fact perpetuating racism by continuing to run the fcuked up BTN courses and causing dissension amongst the races by allowing racist comments and racially charged articles by Utusan and Perkasa.

We, the people here in Malaysia-Today, are aghast and angry with the author and the book, when in fact we should be angry with the government and BN of course, for intentionally making the book a "must read" literature in schools, knowing well that the purpose is to stoke the fire of racism - the Malays will call the Indians pariahs and the Chinese as human slaves and in turn the Chinese and Indians will hate the Malays. Thats the endgame for BN government in introducing this work to school kids, to sow the seeds of racism to the next generation, that our country will continue to be divided by race, perpetuating the hope that UMNO,( Mamaktir's son or Najib's son maybe) will continue to rule rape the country.

The author, Abdullah Hussain is too far ahead of the times with this piece of work. Maybe he should have willed it to his children with strict instructions that it should only be published posthumous, maybe 2 generations from now, when hopefully, we can joke about ourselves as being pariahs (search youtube for an Indian comedian, Russell Peters, and listen to his jokes about Indians and Chinese, you will laugh, I guarantee you).

Then and only then should we allow our youths to read it as literature. Not now, not when its used as a political tool by the racist and facist BN led government. And worse yet, in a situation when our nation is already so polarized.

P/S to admin: request that you may wish to keep this article and the comments running on front page for a few days more. There are lots of comments and debate which I believe is a good way for some of us to work off our angst about the race thingy.

The question is why is it compulsory reading ? What is the intention of the Education Minister ? In this globalized world we need students who can think and question not idiots who are brain washed. It will be wiser to find ways to inculcate the reading habit in students and let them choose what they want to read.

How would you feel if a page in a school text book states the fact that:

1. the Malays were given special rights due to the fact that they were below par and should be given "special priviledge" to catch up and still fails after almost 4 decades?
2. bumi students are given a large chunk of the local Uni quota whether they deserve it or otherwise.
3. Bumi's are entitled to a 7% discount in buying a house (or houses) regardless of its price.
4. that majority of the mat rempits and minah bohsias are malays.
5. that beef can be sold openly by the road side and pork can only be sold in seclusion.

I can go on listing the facts here but five would be suffice to drive my point.

Why raise such sensitive "Facts" when there is little to nothing to gain from? What is the ulterior motive in this? Trying to shame the lesser in submission to the greater?

How would you feel if all those 5 points were to be on pages of a school textbook? Proud of it? Those are facts with concrete evidence too,arent they?

This is not about whether the book Interlok contains facts or otherwise, this Interlok book is to subconciously reduce the minority into submission and that is The Fact!

If this kind of writing can be made a novel and educational tool then anyone can write.. Mr Prime Minister isf history currently is a compulsory subject to pass then recall all leaders to sit for this History subject and ensure you achieve a pass...

What do you as a Government achieve in just making rules where the rules are not considerate? Why don't as a ruling party just honestly state your true intentions and if the non-Malays do not mean anything to Malaysia then ensure you do not use and abuse us..Do not point a finger to non-Malays as blame for the many short-comings of the Malays and never ever state that the babd attitude and vices of malays are the influence of non-Malays and traditions of the non-Malays and non-Muslim religions..!!!

This old man writer of "Interlok" must indeed have a racist-locked motive. Well, he wrote about the Indians & Chinese, what about the Malays themselves? I see nothing bad here. You can put Indians as 'pariah', Chinese as daughter seller, then Malays as yang suka mempergunakan anak perempuan ... how many rape and incest cases were done by the 'bapak'? This is true, right ? ... as the statistics speaks for itself. Burn the Interlok book.

if this book is all facts and all truths then this book should be classified as HISTORY and not LITERATURE. then this HISTORY book is correct to tell the facts that indian are pariah, chinese as daughter sellers and malay as daughter rapist. even the australian do not have such colorful history as we malaysian.

This does not depict chinese. Basically it talks about mankind push to the brink. It is not history is just about human psychology. Let's not confuse. If you look at those documentaries shown by National Geography, History or Discovery channel, you will discover what mankind is prepared to do when they realize what they need to do to survive.

Please lah....our children can watch this in documentaries channels. Let teach history base on truth and not what each individual or each race want it to be learned.

Look at all of us - this post is now hotly debated, but we are all adults.
Imagine 17 year old's reading a book that was "tailored" out of the original for compulsory reading.
In the first place it must not be tailored, second is the book "educational material for compulsory reading"
The issue is not about the book or the author or even the publication - but 'tailoring it to make it compulsory reading material". That itself is sinister and degrading. Typical UMNOBM mentality.

Gua mau jual MCA dan Gerakan. Lu mau beli?

Hi TMF.,

I believe you are one of the more rational folk out there and I liked what you wrote as it reflects the truth of the situation among the Chinese. Just last evening, over dinner I met up with some long time friends as to what happened in their childhood in Malaysia. One of them shared about his father being an opium addict in Chinese Ampang Village and was willing to sell off his own sister for a smoke. In the case of my friend that "daughter selling event" did not happen due to strong objection from the mother but then I can imagine the many other situations where the addicts did it to meet their fix and as for those and others in poverty who did that just to survive.

I think it is wrong not to acknowledge the truth of what has been expressed in the book and we should NOT be offended by saying the Chinese did such activities. To those readers that feel insulted go talk to your father, mother, grandfathers or grandmothers and they will be more than glad to re-affirm the truth of what I have mentioned here. Cooler heads must prevail and for goodness sake get a life !!

Dear tmf,

I am very sorry that your father was forced to sell your sisters. Circumstances were such and I am sure that it was a very traumatic experience for him.

You say "Empathy is needed, not condemnation". Condemn who? I am not sure if you are referring to condemnation of those having to sell their children or condemnation of the author. I am in no way condemning those who sold their daughters. Life was extremely tough, and they probably thought that whoever bought their daughters could give them a better life than they could. On the other hand, the author? Well, he doesn’t spare his words for various other ethnicities in the text, so what makes you think that he is so noble about the Chinese, even if it was a historical fact that they did sell their daughters?

Now, I highlighted Datuk Nasir Safar’s comment about Chinese women. Did he simply make that up? Or did he pick that up from a common stereotype about Chinese women which has been around for some time?

You highlighted WWII in one of your earlier posts. I am quite sure you are well aware that Chinese women ended up as “comfort women” for the Japanese Imperial Army during WWII. It happened throughout Japanese occupied territories…Nanking, Malaya, Singapore, etc. If the emphasis was on history, why didn’t the author of Interlok speak about this? It happened. You can watch a documentary on it on you tube entitled “Rape Sex Slaves & Comfort Women: Japanese Atrocities in Asia” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ux74kJLv7KY .

Allow me to continue on something else that took place during WWII, this time in Batu Pahat, Johore. This true incident is recorded in a book entitled "A Will for Freedom".

In mid 1943, there was a huge fight between the Chinese populace and the Chinese Japanese collaborators. The Chinese had accused a group in their town of being collaborators for the Japanese. A huge scuffle broke out among the Chinese. It was every man for himself. The Japanese troops arriving at the scene, had no idea as to what was happening. They instructed the Chinese to stop fighting but no one paid any attention. Then, the Japanese officer in charge ordered his men to shoot all the 107 Chinese present regardless of who was a collaborator and who was not. An INA (Indian National Army) officer present in the town saw the impending massacre of innocent civilians was about to take place. He marshalled his troops and stood them between the Chinese and Japanese. The Japanese would have to kill the Indian troops in order to get at the Chinese. This stand-off against the Japanese surprised the victims. They thought that the INA were part of the Japanese. They had not expected the sudden turn of events. The Japanese honoured courage, an integral part of their "Code of Bushido". They felt that the Indians had a lot of courage to stand between them and the Chinese. It was on this principle alone, that the Japanese backed down.

Will decent-minded Chinese, Malays and other races stand by the Indians to combat racism as Malaysians once and for all? Bear in mind that this is ultimately about a political party that has used race and religion to divide Malaysians for their own selfish ends, together with their ball-less eunuch yes-men. Let's have the courage to stand up for what's right, and for each other, against the common tyranny that plagues us all…racism.

If we are justified in invoking "Sensitivity" over how literally works describe certain people during certain time, France and England would have gone to war over Charles Dicken's "The Tale of Two Cities", and Pearl S Buck's portrayal of Wang Lung in her Magna Opus, "The Good Earth" would have cause another "Opium War".

Dear Stormquest, my father gave away two daughters during the hash period of poverty and social unrest in the fifties, both my father and mother were still traumatised over the fate of my lost sisters before my father passed away. What is there to feel sensitive about? Empathy is needed, not condemnation; and after reading the book, I do not think the author was trying to insult us.

MCA and Gerakan have no balls to protest!

Dear mick_err_stan, I understand. Therefore after Kunta Kinte ("Roots"), the term "Negro" became a politically offensive term but now, an African American became the sitting President, we see the true pride among them. Substance over form, I always tell my children. Our true worth over what other people percive/refer us to be, I believe that is what really matters.

Interlok .....bodoh punya buku di tulis olih bodoh punya penulis untuk membodohkan orang disokong olih bodoh punya kerajaan rasis. Semun nya Bodoh dibodohland !!!!

"We eat whatever we can get. Roots if available. We beg. We steal. We don't have a daughter. If we do have a daughter we can sell her,"

It’s interesting reading what some readers think about what’s written about the Chinese in Interlok. It almost seems that some of you are all willing to accept the passage portraying the Chinese as “people willing to do anything for a quick buck” as a historical fact. This is more so when you ask what’s there to be sensitive about.

Before I begin, let me first state that UMNO has been telling others about Malay and Muslim “sensitivities” for decades. So why can’t they be sensitive about other ethnicities in Malaysia?

Now, let me get back to the issue at hand. What’s the long-term implication of selling daughters? To understand that, you have to go back to Datuk Nasir Safar (Najib’s former aide) who was forced to resign for stating “‘’Indians came to Malaysia as beggars and Chinese especially the women came to sell their bodies”. http://m*******r.b******t.com/...n-are.html

Is this a historical fact? Is this really an acceptable statement about somebody’s mother, daughter, or sister irrespective of ethnicity? Is this not something to be sensitive about, especially if it is your mother, your daughter, your sister, or you yourself if you are a woman?

If you think that all this is not acceptable, and is a Malaysian issue, then vote me up.

If you think that all this is acceptable, and is not a Malaysian issue, then vote me down.

Dear syd, to call someone name and laugh with them is different when laughing at them....and usually name calling and laughing with them amongst very close friends.

Dear tmf, young mind see and comprehend thinks differently........more importantly, how the teacher dissect and impart learning from Interlok story, essential in molding minds and building character. Unfortunately this book do not have either. Easy for us older folks to accept and reminisce but don't see how this book benefit will benefit the younger generation in putting one race above others. Book would have been more beneficial if it explain different cultural practice that makes Malaysia.....not words like Pariah and selling of daughters.....if you get my drift !!!!

Dear mick_err_stan, could this be the side effect of over-politicising?
Dear Syd, while I was growing up in Brickfields, the Brits already left for many years but their divide-and-rule strategy was still working after their departure. I think it's time for us to wake up, I believe all of us can live together happily if we can deliberate issues without fearing the "S" ("Sensitivity") word.

during the time of the british, everyone of us insult one another as we were all one class down. but when british left, everyone became sensitive to various name calling.

Just got back home and my daughter, now in form 5 lamented that they need to read Interlok and in the same breath informed me that the book is racist. Even her teacher said so. I told her to read the book with an open mind and to discuss with her friends the mentality and mind set of racist belittling others to feel superior. At the least my daughter and her friends can learn how not to be a racist from the book that was force upon them. Sad to say this F**king government has lost the plot to govern. Sial betul !!!! .

Thank you to the reader who gave me one vote up. The reason why I posted the long comment was to prevent all of us from becoming like UMNO/BN/PERKASA. Let SENSITIVITY be their exclusive weapon and then self-destruct, let us not follow their foot-step.

If it was true I have no problem with it. At least they don't rape their daughters or rape the countries' wealth. To sell their daughters they must have been very poor then, at least it is not a practice now.

On a trip to Australia many years ago, a colleague of mine from our London office was detained at the Sydney Airport for impatiently answering a routine immigration question:-

Immigration officer: Do you have any previous criminal record, Sir?

My colleague: Why? Do you still need one to come to Australia?

History of our past is indeed a very complex issue, many of us do not wish to accept the plain truth of our past. Most of us who are doing well now, wish that our past is like a roll of unstained shiny silk but in actual fact, it is most likely not.

In line with our unwillingness to accept our not-too-glorious past, we invoke the most abused term of “sensitivity” to warn others not to look our way, but when others are not allowed to look our way, there will be no meaningful mutual understanding.

In the book Interlok, was the term “pariah” applied by the author as a reference to a historical fact or as a term to insult a certain community? Is it appropriate for a certain community to feel offended because the term “pariah” applied in the literary work touches on their “sensitivity”?

Since when did we become so “sensitive”?

Brickfields where I grew up in the sixties is a very interesting place. Indians and Malays from the railway company, Chinese from some bus and transportation companies lived close together with some Punjabi families. There are many places of worship, our National Mosque, Christian Churches, Catholic Cathedral, Buddhist, Hindu and Taoist temples, all in close proximity to each other. It is very much the same today except I think the toddy shop and the Lido cinema are not there anymore.

Those days we referred to those from other communities with all sorts of derogatory terms but really without any malice; at the same time those from other communities referred to us also with all sorts of equally flowery accolades and I believe equally without any malice.

With such daily mutual belittling and occasional fights in between, we were still able to play and work together most of the time because we were all not too “sensitive” then. In fact, having been so “insensitive” over all that meaningless name calling, we became immune and May 13 did not flare up in Brickfields but in Kampung Bahru where there was a high concentration of a single community.

It must be quite interesting to note that when May 13 flared up in Kampung Bahru, the multi-racial community in Brickfields took collective measures to protect each other. Why?

Let us all reflect if the word “sensitive” is being abused, heavily abused? Wither is the way forward for us to be one big Malaysian community?

Allow me to return to my favorite Australian immigration story.

Years after my London colleague’s disaster at the Sydney Airport, I was told that it had become fashionable for descendants of those crime-related migrant Australians to trace the history of their ancestors, especially the nature of their crime that won them free passage to the then penal colony.

I was relieved that these descendants are no longer outrageously sensitive about the truth of their historical past. I applaud them for even making the effort to search for further details to the extent that combing archival documents has transformed into a serious consulting business.

Many such descendants were more relieved and proud upon being “confirmed” by such ancestry consultants that their ancestors were immigrated to the penal colony for stealing just a loaf of bread to feed their starving children, just like the heroic Jean Valjean in Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables.

Back to Interlok, the author did describe the Malays at that time being lazy, collaborratine with the Japanese invasion army and looting Chinese shops when the Chinese was hiding away from the Japanese invaders.

Tun Dr Ismail had 9 adopted sisters of Chinese decent whom he loved very much, if I remember correctly. Why were the girls given up by their parents? Poverty, starvation and danger perhaps; (re The Reluctant Politician)

I am saddened to have observed so much irrational outburst of anger against a book written by an old man recalling from his memory on the real life situation in the then colonial Malaya.

I suppose, in the final analysis, when self-confidence arrives, conjured sensitivity departs very much like the way darkness departs when light arrives.

" written by Aria, February 22, 2011 16:06:28

If the Chinese keep quiet then they are admitting pariahs."

Aria, the chinese wont go down to the level of these good for nothing "patriots" . Why go down to such disgusting level and engage the charactor worse than any words can describe?

The chinese got better things to do laaaa.

The indians - pariah
The chinese - sell daughters
The umno malay - ?? Holier than Him?

Abdullah Hussein has the typical “ketuanan” UMNO mentality. All other races are below sub- human stature whereas the Ketuanan race is the superior race. He can ridicule whatever and however he wants about the Malaysian Chinese, but the fact still remains the same. . ., the “ketuanan” UMNO race which is supposed to be superior according to Abdullah Hussein standard are actually a bunch of “freeloaders” and thieves which have no qualms to sell or steal anything; their country (you can refer this to Bodohwi and the current DPeeM) and even their mothers. The Chinese on the other hand are hard working industrious people (refer to the recent top 10 billionaires in Bolehland).

I am Malay and this is my observation!

As I previously mentioned, Interlok is a Malaysian problem.
For some reason PR has just steered out of this issue - I wonder why?
This book is not fit for educational at all.

AND dUMNOputras sell their souls to the Devil for $$$ & Power although they go infront of Allah to pray 5 times daily.

The fact is that this will be a literature book for the secondary school students.

Why do you say that the book is a literature?

There ought to be a class about a book to be taken as a literature.There are human values, positiveness, morality and all the dramas about human endeavours reflected positively for the readers.

AND this book, not the way 'sinchew' thinks is not fit to be a literature.

Do I feel insulted? Not sure actually. Because my fellow Cinakuis continue to vote for MCA, that is also an insult. How? Because a vote for MCA is similar to selling your daughter.
So dont you think the Cinakuis deserve this stereotyping?
Btw, to be fair, I hope the author has written about the Malays raping their daughters as a favourite past time.

sinchew, writing is not wrong especially if it is fiction but when writing and telling bad stories about certain races in this case the indian and the chinese then it is more to insulting by the author.i havent read the book no offence but if this interlok only portray certain race to be more superior then the rest then it shouldnt be shown in schools at all. fyi selling and giving away children in the past werent done by the chinese only,it is still happening today with all the races so what the hell is the FACT that u r trying to tell as though the malaysian dont know about the fact.

There are two issues here with varying importance according to individuals: one is that its content is "insulting" to Indians & Chinese; the other is the issue of freedom to express oneself. Now imagine if someone were to write a book abt the Malays in a similar thread, is the book "seditious", "insulting" to the Malays, "insulting Islam"... or it's okay for one race to insult or condemn other races but not vice versa? If the corrupt bn govt doesn't take action against the writer, then a precedent has been set. It's is okay to "insult" the other race(s) too. It's not a crime, not an offense, not seditious, go ahead, write what you want. That is the message from bn.

If the Chinese keep quiet then they are admitting pariahs.

I don't see any problem with this book, why it cannot come out ? read it with open mind, i am a chinese, there's nothing wrong to stereotype either current or old generation. Selling their daughter is that wrong ? If u never live thru, the be it, you are damn lucky, and yes, my grand parent do give away daughter, and many did that the old days. That's a fact and some will sell for money, that's a fact, nothing wrong.

And calling indian or any races pariah, i don't see it is insulting, only racist feel it insulting, at the end, this is just a book, if we tell the author this cannot write, that cannot write, there's nothing more to write.

If a author need to care so much about offending every race under the sun, there's really nothing to write, for example, calling "white man" ghost kids (kuai chai), kuai lou.. for some they feel insulting, for others they feel cool.

I believe if you mind is sub standard and always want to ask everyone to open up their mind and closed your own, then there's no way this country can change.

I believe what sometimes RPK write is correct, whacking your enemy when they do wrong you happy, but whacking those you support but when they do wrong, he's a F**king mix bastard ? isn't it we chinese call people like him in chines as "bastard" (cha chong in chinese) which is also a very insulting words, i know other word can be use, but we fxxxking chinese also like word like this..?

please don't politicized a book... especially when it's a story book.

F**k Interlok !!!!!! Sial Betul !!!!

How can this BOOK came out... really..... And where is the printing control on it???

Insulting one race and another.....