by K.Siladass
Introduction Interlock is a novel written by National Laureate Abdullah Hussain. It is a fictional account about three families – a Malay family represented by Seman, a Chinese family by Cing Huat and an Indian family by Maniam. The novel was written in 1967 but published in 1971 , some two years after the May 13th incident. An abridged English translation by Azizah Hamzah and Hashim Yaacob has been published. It contains numerous errors. In Bahasa it is Interlok and in English Interlock.
This essay is not aimed to be a political exercise but a purely critical analysis whether Interlock could be useful to the present and future generation of students to comprehend the sacrifices of their ancestors; or, would it have negative effect when racial polarisation had already reached a boiling point. So far the focus had been on the word “pariah” and it is argued by some that with the removal of that term and other offensive passages the novel could be saved as a literature for students. The fallacy of this argument is that those who defend the novel had not appreciated the damaging effect emanating from the entire novel.
The essential theme of the book is a projection of the notion that the Malays were original inhabitants of this country.
This essay is structured in the following manner: it begins with a synopsis of the book, which is then followed by a critique. The essay ends by making a case for reconsidering the use of Interlock as a text book.
INTERLOCK: A SYNOPSIS
Interlock is made up of four books. The first book is about the Seman’s family. The second book tells us the story of Cing Huat’s family. The third book narrates the story of Maniam’s family. The last book is about unity.
The setting for the story covers the years represented by the Second World War, the Japanese occupation of Malaya, the return of the British, the creation of the short lived Malayan Union, the emergence of Malay nationalism, the Communist insurrection and its defeat ending with the attainment of independence on August 31, 1957. It is the story of how the three families coalesced.
Seman’s family (Book 1)
Interlock begins with Seman’s family, a simple, illiterate young Malay. He is illiterate because his parents Musa and Limah love him so much they cannot be apart from their young son. However he did learn to read (or recite) the Quran in Lebai Man’s house. Lebai Man is a Sumatran who had come and remained here for good.
Musa, Seman’s father, dies after disclosing that the land on which the house stands, the padi fields and the cattle do not belong to him. Musa however did not reveal as to who the true owner of all these properties was.
Seman fails in his attempt to find out who the real owner is. However, a visit to Cina Panjang who had a business at Simpang Empat, and with whom Musa had close business relationships. unfolds the true status of the properties purportedly owned by his late father. Seman learns to his horror, disappointment and chagrin that Cina Panjang was holding everything his father was believed to have owned. Cina Panjang had the documents to prove that everything Musa purportedly owned had been mortgaged to him. Musa had borrowed heavily from Cina Panjang, who shows letters evidencing the loan of nearly ten thousand ringgit. Seman is shocked and wonders what his father had done with the borrowed funds. He returns home and ransacks the house but to no avail.
Finally, Seman asks his mother Limah (Halimah) whether the properties actually belonged to them and she answers that she believes so, because her husband had told her so. When Seman discloses that the properties do not belong to his father, she advises Seman to see the village headman and find out the truth.
On his mother’s advice Seman visits Lebai Man. He has a daughter Upik. Seman tells Lebai Man of his meeting with the Chinese Si Panjang and how he had learnt that his father owned none of the properties as they had been pawned (mortgaged) to him. Lebai Man is shocked to hear this and he suggests seeing the village headman.
Their visit to the village headman only confirms that Musa had borrowed from the Chinese. The headman explains that the laws prohibit sale of Malay’s land to foreigners. Although Musa had bought the land but no one knows where he got the money. He explains that Musa bought the properties with the money he borrowed from Cina Panjang, and Musa had signed a loan agreement. The loan agreement would show an amount far exceeding the actual value of the land. The village headman laments that nothing can be done, and says: “This is how land protected by law ends up in the hands of foreigners”. Lebai Man who is a Sumatran also echoes the same sentiment.
Sometime after the death of Musa, Cina Panjang with his friend, broker, (or agent) visit Seman to inform Seman that he and his mother have to vacate the house. Seman refuses. He is told that he could stay but he has to pay rent. This too Seman refuses. With the intervention of the village headman Seman gets a reprieve of a week to vacate the house.
The villagers learn the plight of Seman and his mother, and they want to help at the instance of Lazim, a young religious teacher. Lazim succeeds in marshalling sufficient support for Seman to build a house on the land belonging to his father, Pak Usuh. When Seman hears of this he gets angry for he does not want to live on the charity of others.
After a lapse of a few days the villagers realize that Seman and his mother had left the village and they have not the faintest clue where they had gone. Book One ends with the disappearance of Seman and his mother from Kampung Niyor Chondong.
Synopsis of Cing Huat Family (Book 2)
Lee Kim Lock, his wife and son Cing Huat live in a village (in China). They live off their rice fields. Floods had devastated their crops in the previous season. Disaster looms as locusts attack the current crop. The family faces starvation and death. In this agonizing moment he says: “We will eat what we can get. Roots, if we find them. We will beg. We will steal. We don’t have girls. If we had we could sell them.”
Calamity having struck Kim Lock he decides to leave the village and go to Cangcow, the big city, to start life anew. It was then Kok Leng shows up. He is also from the same village but he had gone to the Southern region. Kok Leng has grown up sons and all had followed him. His wife did not accompany him. She remains in the village. Kok Leng has a second wife who lives with him when he is abroad. He has with him lot of English money. Kok Leng is well dressed. He tells the villagers how easy it is to earn money in the distant land. Kok Leng gives gifts to all the villagers, and there was a big feast.
When Kok Leng plans to return to the Southern region, Kim Lock wishes to follow him. Kok Leng is happy but reluctant when Kim Lock says that he wants his son Cing Huat to follow him. Kok Leng warns Kim Lock that Cing Huat would not be able to make the journey; but Kim Lock insists that it is better for his son to die at sea rather than dying of starvation.
Eventually, both Kim Lock and Cing Huat undertake the hazardous journey with others, and having stopped at various places land in Singapore. Kok Leng gets a job for Cing Huat in a coffee shop but Kim Lock remains unemployed for a while. Kok Leng then introduces him to rickshaw pulling. Later Kok Leng also wants Kim Lock to sell his son Cing Huat to the coffee shop owner where he works. Kok Leng in his reverie of making more money tells to himself: In this big foreign city (meaning Singapore) one could not be merciful; if not one could never become rich. Over here money is everything. Here money was God number two.”
Kim Lock and Cing Huat had been in Singapore for thirty months and during this period he had tried various types of work, from pulling rickshaw to becoming a night soil career. However, he is not satisfied with the position he is in, for he has heard stories about how people could obtain tin and rubber on the mainland. He has savings which he plans to invest.
Kim Sui, a fellow passenger whom Kim Lock had met during their journey to Singapore informs him of the prospects of becoming rich by going to the Mainland are good. After working in a mine at Lukut. Kim Lock moves to other places finally settling in Simpang Empat having bought a provision shop from a Malay. He works hard and his business improves. His son Cing Huat helps him in the shop and also learns to manage it. Kim Sui and Kim Lock became good friends: the former married a rich widow and had a step daughter. He also had a mistress. Years later Cing Huat marries Kim Sui’s step daughter, Tua Tao.
In the meantime, Kim Lock is introduced by Kim Sui to Mei Hwa, a whore, who is addicted to opium. To win her over Kim Lock also takes to opium, eventually becoming addicted to it. Cing Huat has learned the trade and was now capable of managing the business well. He and Kim Sui could not save Kim Lock from the latter’s opium addiction. Mei Hwa moves into the Kim Lock household, and both she and her lover spend time smoking opium. Kim Sui advises Cing Huat that his father had become so addicted it is impossible to save him. So, let him have his regular supply of opium.
Cing Huat’s mother in China passes away, and he is very sad but Kim Lock is not bothered, for he has found comfort in opium and Mei Hwa.
One day Kim Lock passes away, and before the funeral is over Mei Hwa commits suicide.
Cing Huat gave donations to found a Chinese school in Simpang Empat. Three of his four children, two sons and a daughter attend that school. Cing Huat had also contributed generously for Kuomintang cause thereby he became a popular figure.
The eldest son of Cing Huat is Yew Hock. His second son is Yew Seng. The third is a girl Poh Eng and the youngest is Poh Kheng. Poh Kheng is only five years old. To Cing Huat she looks like a Malay, and he suspects that his wife has been unfaithful to him. Cing Huat is not happy with his second son Yew Seng. He is unlike his older brother who, after school, would assist his father at the shop. Yew Seng does not like the way his father treats the Malays. Besides, he is always seen playing with Malay children which angers Cing Huat.
It is here we are told of the communication between Seman and Cing Huat when the latter told Seman that he had to vacate the house. Yew Seng who overheard this conversation is upset and had condemned his father that he was cruel as Seman’s father (Musa) had helped Cing Huat a lot. Cing Huat is angry and beats Yew Seng.
The second book ends with Cing Huat’s spite for Yew Seng and determined that he should leave the house. “If his wife, Tua Tao cried or died from unhappiness, so be it. Let her cry; let her die.”
Book Two ends.
Synopsis of Maniam’s family (Book 3)
Maniam’s story begins in July 1910. Maniam is on a passenger ship from Nagapatnam en route to Penang. On the ship’s deck there are about a hundred and twenty people from the various provinces in India. They have left their villages to seek their fortunes in Malaya. There were some passengers who had been offered jobs through the Kangani, and there were also others who were on the ship heading to Malaya on their own having listened stories of the wealth that could be had.
Maniam was one among those who left their village on their own accord in search of wealth. Maniam hailed from Trichur in Kerala. Most of the passengers could speak Tamil. Since they were all from the pariah caste they had no inhibition in mingling around. They could touch each other. They were, in the ship, placed together like a herd of goats.
On board ship, Maniam learns from other passengers about Malaya. He learns that the native Malays are nice people, and they do not bother about foreigners. They have a good life and they are happy with what they have.
Life at his village had been a painful experience. He has a wife, Ambika. His first born had died. He was twenty-five years old when he married Ambika. Since he worked on land belonging to others, he was rewarded in the form of rice which was inadequate. When leaving his wife he had promised her that he would send money. With that she could extend the house. He wanted to be like Pillay who is now comfortable as his son who owns a big restaurant in Malaya remits money every month.
In Penang, with the help of Muthu who is also of pariah caste, Maniam secures a job at the port and for the first time in his life, he felt he was treated like a human being. In December of year (1910) few hundred passengers arrive from Madras and there were some from his village. Among them were Raman and Suppiah. From them Maniam learns that his wife Ambika had gone to live with Pillay as she was starving driven to eat the young leaves of plants to survives, and she is pregnant. Maniam is angry that Pillay had cheated him. He decided to leave Penang with Suppiah and Synamugam. They arrive at Bagan Tuan Kechil and all of them were employed there. However, Maniam is not happy and leaves Bagan Tuan Kechil and finds employment at Changkat Lima. The tandil there is Perumal, a Tamil from Madras. Perumal has a daughter Malini and still a spinster. She is twenty years old. She was betrothed to marry when she was seventeen but her fiancé was killed by a tiger. She did not want to marry, but, when Maniam arrived she had a change of mind. Eventually Maniam marries Malini. They were a loving couple, and Malini is pregnant with Maniam’s child.
Then Suppiah shows up in Maniam’s workplace who spills the beans that Maniam was already married, and spins a yarn that Maniam’s wife in India is suffering. He had a child but died of hunger as Maniam did not send any money. This news spreads, Perumal hears it, and he is angry. He feels that he had been betrayed. Perumal tells Maniam to leave the estate. Maniam refuses to leave without Malini but Perumal persuades him that he could take her after she had given birth and he had found a job. Maniam refuses to reveal the truth about Ambika’s unfaithfulness or the betrayal by Pillay.
As Maniam was leaving the estate two persons attack him and wanted to kill him. One among them is Suppiah. Maniam was wounded. Then, there appears a Malay man with a machete and on seeing him the two assailants run away. The stranger helps Maniam, and the stranger is Musa.
We heard of Musa’s name in Book One and being mentioned in Book Two. It is in Book Three we learn of Musa as a young man and well built saving Maniam from his assailants. Maniam and Musa had become friends. They go to Changkat Janggus rubber estate where Maniam gets a job, but, “Musa was not accepted because there was no Malay working there”. Also Musa could not get a job in the mines as there were no Malay workers there. At last the Malbari offers Musa job in his shop. Almost a month later Maniam found a job for Musa in the estate. And after six months Musa returns to his village to marry his sweetheart.
Things had changed in Changkat Lima, where Perumal remains as the tandil. Suppiah had become his deputy. Suppiah had taken over almost all the duties of Perumal.
Malini has a boy, Ramakrishnan. She has not heard any news from Maniam. Suppiah tries to woo Malini, but, she does not bother about him.
Since the children between the ages of 7 and 8 in the estate were growing in numbers the workers want their children to learn Tamil but there was no Tamil school. The workers agree and they choose Perumal to speak to the management to build a Tamil school. Perumal obtains the approval for a Tamil school and the school is built. “It was more like a cow shed than a school building.”
When Perumal and two other workers had gone to Penang to fetch the teacher for the school Suppiah rapes Malini.
The author seems to suggest that Malini having been separated from Maniam for three years was tempted to have sex although Suppiah had forced her; for, the readers are told that “Suppiah’s left hand groped for the target he had longed for. Malini felt powerless. She gives in,” and adds: “she knew it was wrong but didn’t have the power to fight it”.
Abdullah Hussain continues with the story that the teacher who had arrived was none other than Raman, a friend of Suppiah. And Raman learns the reasons behind Maniam’s departure from the estate. Although he was not close to Maniam he knew his brother and had been to school together in their village. Perumal learns the truth about Suppiah who had come to this country “to evade arrest”. Raman also told the truth about Maniam.
In the meantime, Malini is pregnant as a result of Suppiah’s sexual assault on her. Her father Perumal wants to see the manager and tell him what had happened to his daughter. Raman dissuades him and suggests that Malini should marry Suppiah and put an end to the scandal, and also save the child from humiliation of having no father. Perumal agrees, and also gets Malini’s consent although she declined in the first place.
Raman who had been to see Suppiah to seek his consent is in for shock. Suppiah denies he had dishonoured Malini and that the baby Malini is carrying is his. When Raman goes to Perumal’s house to convey what Suppiah had said another cruel shock awaits him. Malini had committed suicide.
And here ends Book Three.
Synopsis of Interlock (Book Four)
Although twenty one years had passed, Maniam remembers his son. He knew that Malini had given birth to a boy and named him Ramakrishnan. He does not think of Malini because he had heard that she had remarried. He did not go to Changkat Lima because Suppiah was still there. Maniam did not re-marry, and had no intention of doing so.
One day Seman walks into the estate, looking for a job. Seman introduces himself as the son of Musa from Kampung Nyiur Chondong near the town of Simpang Empat to Maniam who secures a job for Seman.
In Book Two we were told that Cing Huat having slapped Yew Seng because of his rebellious attitude had decided that his son must leave. In Book Four the story continues. Yew Seng, angry as he was with his father’s attitude towards the Malays he finds himself in turmoil. He did not want to work for his father as he feels estranged and does not believe he is a Chinese. Cing Huat was also angry over Yew Seng’s friendship with Lazim, the Malay school teacher. Yew Seng feels that he had been treated like a stepson since his younger days. He felt like an outsider in his own family and community hence he befriended Malay children. He became very friendly with Lazim who taught him many things about the world. Yew Seng had read widely and had imbibed the nationalist writings of Sun Yat San about the spirit of nationalism.” He wants to continue his education in China.
Yew Seng leaves his parents’ home without informing anyone. He reaches Changkat Janggus looking for a job. There he meets Kong Beng, head of a mine who hired Yew Seng.
Book Four now turns to Seman and his mother who had been away from Niyur Chondong for two and a half years. The villagers had forgotten about them. One Friday Seman shows up at the mosque and everyone is surprised to see him. He is well attired. At the mosque he meets Lazim, his friend. The main reason Seman visits the village was to ascertain whether Upik: Lebai Man’s daughter, for whom he had a liking is still a spinster; if so, he wishes to marry her. To his disappointment he learns that Upik was already married to his friend, Lazim; and she has a baby boy of a year old and that she was pregnant with another child. He is not unduly worried by this turn of event.
On the way to meet Lazim’s father, he sees Gayah, the only daughter of Mat Ranggi, a rich man in the village. Lazim encourages Seman to marry Gayah. Seman is not sure. However, Lazim persuades his parents to approach Mat Ranggi for their approval so that Seman could marry Gayah. Gayah’s parents are not receptive to the proposal. But, Gayah is seen crying and that changes her parents’ heart. They agree to the marriage between Seman and Gayah.
The story then moves to the Japanese invasion. The fears of Japanese massacre of Chinese unite the villagers.
Seman thinks about Cina Panjang (Cing Huat) “Wouldn’t it be good if the Japanese arrested him? Then the padi lands would revert to the owners.”
The Chinese in Simpang Empat and in the surrounding villages fear the reprisals on hearing the Japanese’s invasion of this country.
One night some people break into Cing Huat’s shop and loot most of the goods. The looting was wide spread in the town. When the looters had left he looked for his daughters Poh Kheng and Poh Eng. Poh Kheng was safe but Poh Eng could not be found. Cing Huat suspects that Poh Eng must have been taken away by the looters.
Mamat Labu meets Seman and persuades him to join him and his men to loot the Chinese shops, but Seman is not keen. However, Mamat Labu reminds Seman how Cing Huat had treated him. It was time for revenge. After some persuasion Seman agrees to take part in the looting. Mamat Labu tells Seman to be at Cina Panjang’s (Cing Huat) shop. All the villagers will take part. And it was arranged that all would meet at the surau. Seman waited at the surau but no one showed up. On his way home he suddenly hears shouts and cries. He runs towards the shop holding his parang. He sees someone moving about in the alley. He is determined to strike anyone who dared to fight with him. The person screams. It is a girl, and he recognises her. It is none other than Poh Eng, Cing Huat’s daughter. He raises his parang to strike her but she holds his legs pleading for help. He has no heart to kill her.
Seman then takes Poh Eng to his mother’s house who is shocked to see Seman with a Chinese girl. Seman leaves Poh Eng with his mother and goes off. Later Seman takes his mother and Poh Eng to Maniams’ place, and leaves them under his care. A few days later flyers were circulated in which the Admiral of the Japanese Army ordered all the people to maintain peace, and not to commit robbery. Anyone caught would be sentenced to death. The looters return the goods they had stolen, the Chinese and Indian merchants are happy to receive their goods back.
The Japanese had arrived in Simpang Empat. Cing Huat is questioned in his shop by a Japanese officer as to the whereabouts of Yew Seng. He denies any knowledge about him. One night Yew Seng visits his father. He is in a green uniform. He enquires about Poh Eng. He says he wants to fight the Japanese, he will look for Poh Eng and kill those who had taken her.
Next, Yew Seng visits Lazim and tells him to advise the people in the village not to help the Japanese. He also tells Lazim that an organization has been formed in the jungle to fight the Japanese. Lazim is not sure what course to take after listening to Yew Seng. Yew Seng also speaks about his missing sister Poh Eng and requests that in case Lazim finds her to inform his father Cing Huat. Lazim admires Yew Seng’s courage.
The whitemen had left the rubber estates the moment they heard of the Japanese invasion. The coconut plantation at Changkat Lima was managed by a Naidu. Suppiah was not happy when Naidu became the Manager, who liked Perumal. Naidu had helped Perumal’s grandson Ramakrishnan to get into English school, who is now a police inspector. Since Suppiah’s devious designs had not materialized he disappears. After few days, Suppiah returns to the Changkat Lima estate with a Japanese who takes over the management of the responsibilities from Naidu. Suppiah takes over Perumal’s duties.
Changkat Janggus estate also has a new manager, a Japanese, and the workers are not happy with him. An unknown group attack the estate and the Japanese manager was dragged out from his bungalow.
Poh Eng who had heard the commotion from the house she was staying heard a familiar voice giving commands. The man was her brother Yew Seng, and he recognizes Poh Eng. Yew Seng then takes his sister Poh Eng with him into the jungle although she did not want to leave Mak Limah. Mak Limah, sees Poh Eng being dragged away. The Japanese come and arrest Mak Limah and take her away.
Maniam and a number of others at Changkat Janggus had been arrested for questioning. Maniam is interrogated by a Japanese soldier and an Indian inspector. The Japanese torture Maniam in a most cruel manner. They want to know about the Japanese manager who had disappeared, although his answer was the same the torture continued.
The following night Maniam is interrogated; but, this time it is the Indian Inspector who carries out the interrogation. During this interrogation the truth unfolds, the inspector is none other than Maniam’s son, Ramakrishnan.
Lazim realizes that the Japanese were worst and their rule must be resisted. He had been vocal in urging his people not to sell padi to the Japanese, as a result he was arrested and incarcerated.
Poh Eng who had been in the jungle wants to return to Simpang Empat to see her parents. Most of the men now under Kong Beng’s command were miners who had worked with Yew Seng. And later Yew Seng would learn that Kong Beng was a communist. Kong Beng’s party received arms and food from Force 136-air dropped by the British.
The Japanese occupation continues and then the war ends. Although Poh Eng was eager to return to Simpang Empat, Kong Beng would not permit anyone to leave as yet, as he wanted orders from the top.
Later, Kong Beng’s group come out of the jungle to the town. Inspector Ramakrishnan and all other police officers are arrested. Japanese informers are rounded up, paraded and tortured.
On Yew Seng’s order Lazim is released from prison. Poh Eng returns to her parents’ house, and the whole town is intrigued over her appearance in uniform.
The British returned, and they introduce the Malayan Union which the Malays oppose.
One day, upon receiving a letter from Kong Beng, Yew Seng decides to leave the village much to the annoyance of his father. According to Kong Beng the tactics need to be changed. Those anti-Japanese members should infiltrate labour movements to spread communism, which Yew Seng and his friends succeed. As a result of frequent industrial actions, the government declares a state of emergency. Kong Beng and Yew Seng and their men move back to the jungle. Their main target were estates and European managers.
Meanwhile, Raman, the former teacher at Changkat Lima returns to Malaya. Raman had joined the Indian National Army hoping to free India with the help of the Japanese Army. With the Japanese defeat he concludes that Malaya would be better place to live in. He sees Ramakrishnan to learn about the political situation in the country. He wants to do his part for the country.
Cing Huat hears the speech against Communists and the call to the Chinese to unite and co-operate with the Malays and Indians. He is now actively involved in politics and meets Lazim regulars.
Poh Eng visit her brother in the jungle and learns that Kong Beng has bad motives towards her. Yew Seng fears that Teck Huat’s lustful episode might be re-enacted but this time by Kong Beng. Yew Seng no longer believed in the communists cause and wishes to get away.
When the group is enjoying a drink in their hideout three Indians, new recruits join the group, “dragging a semi-conscious Maniam”. One among them is Suppiah who had joined the communist movement. Maniam is tied to a tree.
Inspector Ramakrishnan’s security team ambush Kong Beng’s squad. Suppiah wants to shoot Maniam but Poh Eng shoots Suppiah and kills him. Kong Beng is also fatally wounded. Yew Seng suffers a gun shot wound to his leg.
It was a success story for the security forces.
Interlock ends with all celebrating Independence on 31 August 1957. Yew Seng is now on an artificial limb the cost of which had been contributed by the Malays, Chinese and Indians.
A CRITIQUE OF INTERLOCK
Controversy surrounding Interlock has been triggered not in terms of the literary merit of the book but because of certain intemperate and impudent statements, insinuations, derogatory remarks and innuendos against the Chinese and Indian communities who had come to this country at the dawn of the twentieth century. Presently it is the Indian community which is leading the protests. The protests are centered around the fact that Interlock is, after all, not an intelligent novel and it does not have anything useful to offer. It is considered offensive as it portrays the non-Malay communities in poor light.
One thing that is patently obvious is the fact that Abdullah Hussain is very parsimonious when describing the positive roles played by the non-Malays but his generosity and fertile imagination illustrates his merciless [myopic] propensity to place the backgrounds of Cing Huat and Maniam in a very demeaning manner. Seman and his people are spared the ignominy [to which] Cing Huat and Maniam had been critically subjected. This discriminatory approach permeates the stories told by Abdullah Hussain, that the Malay society was well knit, tolerant, well has organised and was always been genteel in contrast to the crude, rude, money grabbing Cing Huat, and socially ostracized Maniam and their kind.
No one would have bothered, or shown any interest in Interlock had the Government refrained from introducing it as a compulsory.
The Government in its wisdom had assumed that Interlock would play a profound role in fostering goodwill among the various races.
A Government spokeman is reported as stating that Interlock would play a profound role in fostering goodwill among the various races.
It has been contended that the book promotes unity as highlighted in the concluding part of the novel. As such, the Government’s stand is, Interlock should be used as a compulsory text book for students in schools, albeit with certain amendments.
There is a yawning gulf between Government’s stand and the perception of parents who view the contents of the book as swilling over with pernicious racial smear. The ongoing debate has focused on the use of pejorative and sensitive words which cause offence. Even though the book abounds with characterizations of Indians and Chinese as immoral, greedy, untrustworthy and generally unworthy, the controversy has been narrowly focused on the use of the word “pariah”. The novel contains many other slurs and is insensitive. The reference to the Indians and Chinese communities as “foreigners” is particularly offensive as it contributes to further polarization. Despite the controversy and expression of disappointment and pain, especially from the Tamil community, the Government appears determined to introduce Interlock as a literature textbook. The only concession being made is to remove or re-phrase certain offending parts or passages, and terms.
These steps do not go far enough in meeting the deeper criticisms of the novel and its suitability as a text for teaching the values associated with Rukun Negara and Dato Seri Najib’s vaguely formulated concept of “1 Malaysia” designed to promote national unity and racial harmony.
We are told that the present version of Interlock is an abridged version whereby approximately twenty per cent of the text from the original had been removed. There is no evidence that the twenty percent actually reflects the most demeaning narration about the non-Malays. It is appropriate to ask: why is the Government so adamant and insistent in wishing to introduce Interlock notwithstanding the fact that the basic structure, and the insinuations originally contained therein will remain unaffected. Besides, such a course will not help abate the controversy.
The central theme of the novel is: the Malays are genteel folks who are the victims of “foreigners”. It is the Chinese and Indians who are portrayed as thus.
If unity is the message the Government is looking for in Interlock, it should take a deep look at the novel and find out whether the author is talking about racial unity that had purportedly bloomed and flowered at the end of the novel, or is it a reminder to the Chinese and Indians, (especially the Tamils) of their humble status when they left their countries plagued with economic hardship and social ostracism. The key message is that the Chinese and Indians should be grateful to the Malays who had been so accommodative. The author is not speaking of mutual acceptance by all races to live in peace and harmony, but pressing the point about the accommodating nature of the Malays.
Reducing the original work by twenty percent or removing the controversial passages in Interlock is indicative of concern and doubt of the overall suitability of the novel. It is salutary that a work of fiction as presented requires so much of cosmetic surgery before it could be used as a teaching tool.
Interlock can also be critiqued for its literary quality. The author has taken many liberties. The book lacks objectivity in its portrayal of situations and indeed introduces the author’s prejudices and misconceptions While an author has degrees of freedom in writing, he never the less has an intellectual responsibility to avoid incorporating erroneous facts and distortions. The author regrettably has taken many liberties with the facts and has been slothful.
While an author can safely rely on Nigel Watt’s advice: “There are no rules” , there are nevertheless laws which delineate the parameters which an author should not transgress. Any violation of those laws could end up in the author being hauled before a court of law. The laws which come to mind are the Sedition Act, Penal Code and the general law of tort relating to defamation.
Every Malaysian must guard against political emotions running wild and endangering the already volatile and delicate Malaysian racial scene.
It is indeed tragic that the notion of Malay “Ketuanan” is being promoted relentlessly. The message is: the Malays are a superior race and that the Chinese and Indians are lodgers (orang tumpangan or pendatangs). And what Interlock purports to do is to glorify the Malay’s exemplary life, destroyed by merciless Chinese like Cing Huat.
The use of Interlock will encourage the young innocent Malay students to think that their ancestors had been cheated by the Chinese, and thus they should distance themselves from the non-Malays generally. It is significant that Interlock contains no reference to the fact that the Chinese and Indians, including the Malays themselves were exploited by the British colonial power. The author scratches the surface of the British role and does not bring out the inhuman indignities Malayans of all races had to experience under their rule. To drill the idea that this country belongs to the Malays and the Chinese and Indians are foreigners who had grabbed and deprived the Malays’ their inherent rights is irresponsible. On this ground alone Interlock should not be made literature text. Messages contained in Interlock do not encourage the emergence of the Malaysian thoughts, a common Malaysian identity, Malaysian feeling, Malaysian Oneness, whereby the combination of all these aspirations culminate towards the destination we are seeking to achieve – Malaysia for all Malaysians.
Could we honestly say that Interlock has the quality to turn the next generation of Malaysians into superior thinking persons and be able to observe propriety? Hardly so. If a genuine attempt is made to comprehend the author’s motives no person with a modicum of reasonableness would accept that his Interlock has the quality to promote unity among the various races.
When a fictional work is recommended for students’ study special care should be taken to ensure that the young minds are not poisoned with racially biased politicians’ pathological venomous discriminations. When reading Interlock the students’ imagination travels to the distant past to gauge the background of the people who arrived here some hundred years ago. And what sort of background of these people does the author want the students to learn, digest and retain in their minds? This is the test, or one of the tests, the book needs to be put by those charged with the task of selecting texts.
The selection of texts for teaching is a weighty task. We list below some considerations. It is against that background that we need to pose the question: Is Interlock a suitable literature text for students? We have therefore to consider whether Interlock:
could help the students to understand the difficulties the various races had undergone when Malaya was still undeveloped, when it was still a jungle. Is the prior station in life of those who arrived here material? In this context what were the status of the desperate Sultanates that existed during the period Interlock covers? And what were their position since the British influence became a fact of life in this region?
whether it has any literary merit?
whether the students could read the book without being emotionally disturbed and without racial prejudices?
whether the book would help the students generally to understand the contributions by the various communities, and in this regard whether the book contains unbiased information which the students could appreciate?
Whether the author is extolling the virtues of a particular race and paints the background of the rest in a most questionable manner? thus the young Malay minds look at their peers (non-Malays) with disrespect, and tease them as the descendants of rickshaw pullers, night soil careers, and socially ostracized.
QUESTIONABLE ASSERTIONS AND ERRORS IN INTERLOCK
The references to the Chinese such as Si Panjang as foreigners who had the financial clout by which they could deprive Malays of their land, and Lazim’s assertion that the country would end up in the hand of foreigners is seditious. It is provocative and ignores the realities of the past. The author appears to be in a state of denial by referring to the Chinese and Indians as “foreigners”. Instead they were settlers, as were the Javanese, the Sumatrans, the Arabs and other groups that settled in Malaya. Nor can it be denied that these settlers made their roots in this country and contributed to its economic development.
True, the Chinese, like other settlers, came to this country hoping to eke out a living and in search of wealth because they were victims of natural disasters in their own country. They suffered and worked hard to reach the station in life they have hoped for, and did actually work hard in this country, so why single them out and condemn or portray them as if they had come to take over the country. It is foolhardy to think that the moment the Chinese and Indians arrived here they began to enjoy a beautiful life with all the wealth at their disposal. The truth is, they toiled and labored hard and many perished.
The text is riddle with inaccuracies. For instance the author refers to Kerala as the country from where Maniam had come. Legally, geographically and politically there was not a Kerala in July 1910 when Maniam’s story begins. The historiographical name Kerala was in the hearts of all Malayalees, but it blossomed into reality on 1 November 1956 when the State of Kerala was formed .
In these circumstances what would the students reading Interlock understand about Kerala? If forty years of reading by adults and academicians could not correct the misconception stated in Interlock what would the students do? They will assume Abdullah Hussain is correct.
The author tells us that Maniam heard those who spoke Tamil were from his own village. We are left to speculate whether Maniam is a Tamil or a Malayalee. Besides it is a folly to say that those who came from “Kerala” or “Andhara” could speak Tamil.
The immigration of Chinese and Indians into British Malaya did not begin in 1910. It began in the later part of the 18th century leaving aside the earlier contacts by the Chinese and Indians before the advent of the East India Company.
Reading the stories of the three families we do not see any literary merit in them. The author loosely touches upon some historical facts without any elaboration or citations to inform the reader of the circumstances that crystallized in those events. Besides, there are also material errors in the facts stated. For instance, the positive role played by the Anti-Japanese movement during the Second World War has not been dealt with adequately. There is only a passing reference which again understates the role of the Chinese, Malays and Indians during the anti-Japanese campaign and Force 136 . Similar deficiencies are seen when the issue of the Malayan Union is raised and no reference is made to the role of Dato Onn Jaafar.
Seman’s story reveals itself, though unwittingly, that the nameless Chinese (in Book One) was helping the villagers with loans, who was also operating a shop where the daily needs of the villagers could be bought on credit. For commercial reasons they accept him (the Chinese towkay) but kept him away from their society. He cannot be accepted, but, the preference for a Sumatran is obvious when Lebai Man is described as a man “well known for his piety, just as Pak Utih was known for his medicine”, although he is from Sumatra. Fictional characters are the author’s creation and the things done by his characters mirror the author’s own prejudices and the characters speak the author’s mind, and here we can conclude that Abdullah Hussain prefers to treat those from Indonesia as his own but not the Chinese and Indians who have come to this land under difficult conditions, lived in this country under dehumanizing circumstances and suffered unimaginable indignity; yet they who had vastly contributed in turning this country as the major producer of tin and rubber enriching it are condemned as foreigners. Is this the message our students should receive, and be familiar with?
Thus, for Abdullah Hussain to make a sweeping statement in a fiction that foreigners, implying the Chinese and Indians, having swarmed Malaya, the Malays would lose their land is misplaced and gives a false impression to the students.
The author tells us that Musa was not given work by the estate management because he was a Malay; giving the impression that the Indians had monopolized employment on the estate, and the Chinese the mines whereby the Malays were marginalised. There is no basis for this conclusion, it being a figment of Abdullah Hussain’s imagination.
What do we gather from the story of Cing Huat’s family? Kim Lock, Cing Huat’s father is capable of doing anything just to become rich. If he wants something he will make sure he gets it. He is portrayed as someone without scruples. He is alleged to be prepared to steal, sell his daughter (if there was one) all for money and food. It is this adamance in him that he falls for the whore because he wants to win. He believes women could be bought with money which is evidenced when he throws money for the whore to see, after which she becomes friendly. He forgets his business, his son and his wife. He is self-centered. He cannot be compared with the fathers of Kampung Nyuir Chondong who are responsible, and would not do anything which could be below their dignity or religious scruples. His son Cing Huat is not any different. He is pictured as one who hates the Malays. He is suspicious of his wife. He is cruel and ungrateful. For the sake of money he would do anything. He has grown up to be a cheat. And he teaches his son Yew Hock how to short change the customers in weighing things. Kok Leng and Kim Sui had wives, yet had mistresses. The overall characterization of the Chinese persona in the novel is negative and without redeeming features.
Only Yew Seng is portrayed as a reasonable lad because he speaks Malay and he is close to his Malay peers. The moral of this part of story is: so long you are good with the Malays, then, you are good, and are acceptable.
In reading Maniam’s story we learn that he being of a lower caste had found haven in this country. Here he is not ostracized by anyone. His wife Ambika is painted as a woman of loose character despite the fact that she found refuge in Pillay’s arms only because of being destitute. Maniam’s second wife Malini gives in to the violation by Suppiah because Maniam had been away for three years. Without saying it in many words, the author implies that she was sexually promiscuous. The author paints the Indian women as immoral.
Perumal has soft ears. Maniam hides the truth of his first marriage. Maniam does not care about Malini or his son – painting him an irresponsible husband and father. All in all, the main Indian characters in the story are portrayed as immoral, weak and lacking in humanizing values. Contrast this with the Malay families where such things could not have happened.
Maniam is shown as belonging to the Pariah caste.
The word “pariah” has profound connotations which are derogatory and insulting of a particular group of people from South India. The word is used in the book to describe the caste of the main Indian character. The word is used very generally without any attempt to qualify it or to point out that not all South Indians who came to this country were of that caste. One cannot find any valid reason for the use of word in the story and to refer to the caste system prevalent in another country to the attention of students in this country. Maniam’s story gives the impression that most of the South Indians in this country were of low caste because Maniam is always seen mixing with people of that caste. The exceptions are Naidu and Pillay. There is no reference to Perumal’s caste. The implication is either Perumal is also of that caste, or that he did not trouble himself about it. The author either had not understood the composition of the people who came from South India or had turned a blind eye to historical facts as to the arrival of Indians generally into this region. For instance, the author makes no mention of other sub-groups e.g. the Chettiar community which brought money to this country and lent money and provided finances well before a banking system existed.
The fact of the matter is not all those who came from South India were coolies or were in the mould of the fictional Maniam character. Aside this there were also English educated who arrived here to work as chief clerks, clerks, conductors and estate managers, teachers in English schools, and also as traders. They brought their knowledge as assets to this region.
The word pariah by itself would not attract much criticism or should not cause much quarrel because it is a word which had gained currency not only with reference to a particular group of people of the Indian community; but it is also used to describe a person whose conduct does not match up to the standards set up or adhered by society. In this regard the discontent that has surfaced among the Tamils is understandable because the author tells the reader Maniam speaks Tamil and most of the characters with whom he comes into contact speak Tamil indicating they are Tamils, although it is stated that he came from a village in Trichur, the inhabitants of which are Malayalees, and they hardly speak Tamil. The reader is also left to wonder whether Maniam ia a Tamil or a Malayalee or a Malayalam speaking Tamil.
Condemnation of Interlock has centered on the one word (pariah). This may neither be fair nor justified; but when it has been used without any qualification and in a derogatory and a negative context the book raises legitimate grounds for objection. In the narration Maniam is seen to be in contact with other Indians, the implication being that a large section of the South Indians community or all of them who had come to this golden land are those who belonged to the pariah caste. The use of the book as a text will inevitably convey to students that the majority of Indians in this country are descended from the pariah caste.
Therefore, even if the offending word pariah in Interlock is removed the larger question is whether the book is suitable as a textbook. Furthermore there is no obvious justification to highlight Maniam’s caste.
Abdullah Hussain’s omission to explain that not all who came to this country belonged to the low caste as far as the South Indians are concerned was the biggest flaw or fault in the book.
The choice of Interlock, with its blatant racial connotations, as a text at this point in the nation’s history is ill-advised. The increasing use of taunts “Go back to China, Go back to India” by teachers and headmasters has created a poisoned atmosphere in the educational system. The introduction of this book into the curriculum adds to the unhealthy trends. The constant harping that this is a Malay country, notwithstanding entrenched provisions in the Federal Constitution represents a dangerous pattern of heightening polarization. Injecting Interlock into this environment is an irresponsible act.
It is in the light of all these unsettling tendencies that Interlock needs to be looked at. It is imperative that nothing is done to hurt the feelings of a particular race or races.
It is evident that Interlock does not promote racial harmony but opens up wounds and promotes images that are hurtful.
Some defenders of the book have argued that Interlock has been taken out of context. These defenders make the point that the book is a piece of fiction and needs to be looked at such. This is a persuasive argument but it does not justify its use as a text given its negative messages in the context of nation building and promotion of racial harmony. Abdullah Hussain’s work is indeed lopsided and paints a false picture of the events he touches upon, and if it is to be consumed by non-Malays as well as Malay students it would indeed widen the degree of polarization.
AN OVERVIEW
The author has used Kim Lock and Maniam to convey to readers that it was because of adverse economic conditions in their own countries that they came to this country. The insinuation is that most of the Chinese and Indians were in similar predicament. Kim Lock faced with financial crises tells his wife, “We don’t have girls. If we did, we could sell them.” And in the case of Maniam his caste was an added factor, and the innuendo is that most Tamils in this country are descendents of a low caste. This, it can be justifiably argued, is a crude and offensive caricature of the two communities. Although crafted as a fictional work, it is in a sense a political piece of writing designed to denigrate the Chinese and Indian communities who have contributed much to the economic development of this land.
When reading Interlock certain inferences can be drawn:
(a) The Malays are peaceful people, they had lands but with the arrival of the Chinese, who had been starving in their country, the Malays have lost their land. By coming to this country the Chinese are freed from starvation.
(b) The Chinese are materialistic whereas the Malays are God fearing people.
(c) The Chinese being materialistic are uncouth, their spoken language could be vulgar as evidently Cing Huat’s curse: “Pu nia bo” (a vulgar phrase).
(d) The Indians too came to escape economic hardship and starvation and caste discrimination.
Interlock, sad to say, is unfit as a school text and does not qualify as a literature book to be taught in schools because it heightens racial tensions by injecting prejudiced and distorted images of the Chinese and Indian communities.
The prejudice displayed is illustrated by pages in the book. For instance, in Book One the author describes “Mak Limah chewing betel leaf with her mouth closed, her jaw moving slowly.” And when describing Maniam’s act of chewing betel leaves, the author writes: “Chewing his betel leaves like the cow was enough for him.”Both Mak Limah and Maniam are chewing betel leaves and there is not any difference in the act; yet when describing Maniam’s act it is compared to the act of a cow. The author seems to have no hesitation in putting Maniam in a very poor light.
It is legitimate to raise the question of literary merit. Any work of fiction which promotes racial supremacy and undermines the contribution of other races cannot be construed as having any literary merit because it goes beyond rational thinking harping on race supremacy and religion. Abdullah Hussain’s Interlock spews racial venom, and no wonder the generation of teachers, headmasters and others who had grown up reading it had been mimicking him by hurling racial slurs against non-Malay students at schools and elsewhere.
There is little of literary or artistic value in Interlock. Is Seman’s story something new or unique? It is an old story. Does the Cing Huat’s story interest us with excitement? Hardly. But the nasty experiences of Seman’s father is retold. Again there is little that is. The Malays selling the land to non-Malays cannot be anything new. It was in practice and it is in practice, the exception is Malay reservation land. Maniam’s story appears to be like a plot reminding us of Tamil films. Again we see nothing extraordinary. Nothing novel. With all these defects Interlock is not a unique literary work.
In the context of the rhetoric One Malaysia, it is hard to comprehend as to the Government is set upon that the Government is bent upon introducing Interlock as a textbook despite it being pregnant with negative messages. If the spirit of 1 Malaysia is to be genuinely pursued, Interlock has no place in the classroom. Wisdom demands that the book is withdrawn as a textbook.
