“As an academician, I see no problem with the book.”But it’s important how it is used in the classroom and whether the teachers are mature enough (to teach),” he said after attending a closed-door roundtable discussion by the Malaysian Youth Council (MBM) yesterday.The Language, Literacies and Translation School dean said creative writing required a lot of interpretation by the reader.
“Writers never provide the meaning.
“It is the reader who provides the meaning, and that comes from his background and experiences.
“We must also understand the maturity of the students today. We are not a reading society.
“To interact with a book, we must have knowledge.”
Ambigapathy was one of 40 non-governmental organisation representatives and academicians at the meeting to discuss calls by Indian organisations to drop certain words and phrases on pages 211 and 220 which they deemed offensive and inaccurate.
The story revolves around the integration of Malays, Chinese and Indians through its three main characters — Seman, Chin Huat and Maniam — between 1900 and 1957.
MBM president Mohamed Maliki Mohamed Rapiee said the matter should be resolved academically and not sensationalised to create racial prejudice.
He said the novel did not contain any motive to insult or berate any individual or race in Malaysia and that it contained important historical lessons on the formation of the nation.
He said the council fully supported the government’s plan to form a special committee comprising community and Education Ministry representatives to discuss the matter.
“We hope the teaching and learning of this novel be given serious attention to avoid any misinterpretation that would offend the feelings of any parties,” Maliki said, adding that a glossary should also be included to provide the meanings of word that could be misunderstood by the students
