I really think more people should come forward and share their eye witness account on the May 1969 riots. It may help us debunk the various myths surrounding the event, it may help us refute the government’s propaganda on this unfortunate scene and probably can be a saving measure for hopes of better race relations between Malaysians in the future.
Unveiling the ‘May 13’ riots
Beh Lih Yi
May 11, 07 12:52pm Adjust font size:
“While people were still assembling for this parade, trouble broke out in the nearby Malay section of Kampung Baru, where two Chinese lorries were burnt…
By 7.15pm, I could see the mobs swarming like bees at the junction of Jalan Raja Muda and Batu Road. More vehicles were smashed and Chinese shophouses set on fire.
The Chinese and Indian shopkeepers of Batu Road formed themselves into a ‘district defence force’ armed with whatever they find – parangs, poles, iron bars and bottles…
When the Malay invading force withdrew as quickly as it had arrived, the residents took their revenge. Shop-fronts and cars suspected of being Malay-owned were smashed or burnt…
The police arrived at about 9pm but did not remain in the area. Later, truck-loads of Federal Reserve Units (riot squads) and the Royal Malay Regiment drove past…”
(Excerpts taken from a dispatch by Far Eastern Economic Review correspondent Bob Reece narrating his eyewitness account on May 13, 1969 after a group of young Malays gathered outside the Selangor Menteri Besar Harun Idris’ residence in late afternoon)
It has been almost four decades since the May 13 racial riots broke out.
What had prompted the worst riots in Malaysia’s 50-year history that cost the lives of 196 persons (according to official records) however remained shrouded under a veil of secrecy, although there are several versions on the matter so far.
The ‘official version’ of it has always been the violence was triggered off by the Chinese-dominated opposition supporters’ provocation in celebrating their electoral victory which saw the ruling Alliance Party suffered a major setback.
‘Full of nonsense’
This version, however was consistently rebutted by the opposition group who claimed otherwise. Other theories also suggested that the riots was rather a planned attack to oust then premier Tunku Abdul Rahman.
The lack of accessible information in the public domain has been a stumbling block for those who intend to uncover the episode but a set of newly-declassified documents in London gave sociologist Dr Kua Kia Soong a thorough glimpse of the event.
Late last year, the principal of New Era College took a three-month sabbatical leave to the Public Records Office in London to study records and declassified documents on the May 13 incident after a 30-year secrecy rule over these documents lapse.
His findings based on the declassified documents – which have been compiled into a new book to be launched on Sunday – found the entire May 13 riots were by no means a spontaneous outburst of racial violence, as it has been portrayed to the Malaysian public.
“The (official) history of May 13 is full of nonsense, it doesn’t reveal anything. It pins the blame on the opposition party which was not true, they were not the responsible party,” Kua told malaysiakini in a recent interview.
“My book shows the responsible party were those ascendent state capitalist class (in Umno), elements within that gave rise and implemented this plan. There was a plan based on the people who assembled at the (Selangor) menteri besar’s house.
“There are correspondences and intelligence reports which showed that. Official history has to reveal that truth and not to pin the blame on everybody around who are not to be blamed,” the educationist and social activist stressed.
Kua maintained the May 13 incident was a coup d’etat against the Tunku by the then emergent Malay state capitalists – backed by the police and army – to seize control of the reign of power from the old aristocrats to implement the new Malay agenda.
A plot to oust Tunku
He opined the riots were works of “Malay thugs” orchestrated by politicians behind the coup.
For instance, he said the “group of hoodlums suddenly appeared from all over the place” on the day of May 13 to gather at Harun’s residence and the questionable conduct of the police and army to just stood by and watch.
He added that documents showed less than a week after the riots, then deputy premier Tun Abdul Razak who headed the National Operations Council was already in full control of the country – an indication that there had been a plot.
On top of that, discussions for future plans had already been carried out.
“For example the National Cultural Policy (announced in 1971) burst in the 80s, it was already been thought of one week after (the May 13 incident),” Kua noted, referring to the controversial policy which placed emphasis on the ‘indigenous culture’ and Islam.
A secret document from the British cabinet office featured in the book showed that barely a week after the riots broke out, the Central Intelligence Agency had figured out what Tun Razak was planning – “to formalise Malay dominance, sideline the Chinese and shelve the Tunku”.
The role of the security forces in the May 13 bloodshed was also questioned in Kua’s findings.
“Even at that time, people in the diplomatic core (were wondering) how come the day the riot broke out, Razak met with the chiefs of the police and army but they did not do anything,” he said.
Interestingly, Kua pointed out the Malaysian security forces had been tested and tried during the war against the communist insurgency between 1948 and 1960 and earned their reputation.
“They are one of the most effective in putting down the communist insurrection that is a far, far more difficult operation than putting down riot, but they could not put down (such riot) in 1969 for days, for weeks,” he questioned.
It thus brought to Kua’s conclusion: “The May 13 was a pretext for staging that coup… I am not the first person who said it was a coup d’etat but I am providing the documents to show how it was a coup d’etat.”
Exact fatality number unknown
The declassified documents have included reports fielded by foreign correspondents who were in Kuala Lumpur at the time, dispatches by the British High Commission personnel who closely followed the event and various other confidential reports from the diplomat circle.
It is considerably the first time a complete recount of the tragedy is made available to the Malaysian public, as many foreign correspondent reports were previously banned while local documents are inaccessible.
However, what could not be established in the book is another secrecy, the real number of deaths.
Official figures said the May 13 riots claimed 196 lives, 180 were wounded by firearms and 259 by other weapons, 9,143 persons were arrested out of whom 5,561 were charged in court, 6,000 persons rendered homeless, at least 211 vehicles and 753 buildings were destroyed or damaged.
The declassified documents and international correspondents at the time nevertheless have calculated a much higher number of fatalities but an exact number could not be ascertained, although it was common knowledge the victims are majority ethnic Chinese.
Kua said it is his hope to smash two myths with the publication of the book.
“One is racial riot will occur when the Malays are not happy, that’s why you need the New Economic Policy, affirmative action policy et cetera, otherwise the Malays will be unhappy and there will be riot.
“This is the first myth we should dismantle as documents showed some people were involved in making it (the May 13) happened with the connivance of the police and army,” he stressed.
The second myth, Kua said, is academicians and pluralist theorists who uphold the views that riots and conflicts will occur naturally in multi-racial country.
“I am questioning this. The role of the state is very important at a particular historical conjuncture. Malays, Chinese and Indians don’t suddenly decide to fight in conflict, it doesn’t happen like that,” he said.
Asked on whether there is any fear that the authorities might move to ban the publication of the book, as in the case of a recent ban slapped on a book about the Kampung Medan clashes, Kua responded:
“In the age of the internet, what does banning a book mean? We can put it on the Web, you can’t do anything.”
ENTER THE FREE SPEECH ZONE 3 HERE
*SUSAN LOONE's Blog* 
Enlightening. Where does this piece of news come from? What is the title of this book mentioned?
Tim, it is mention in the title that the news comes from Malaysiakini. And the book written by Dr Kua Kia Soon of New Era College.
Also, everyone, here’s another segment of the story from Malaysiakini: http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/67098
What actually happened during the 1969 tragedy
May 11, 07 1:11pm Adjust font size:
The series of events surrounding the ‘May 13’ riot has been documented by Dr Kua Kia Soong in his latest book May 13: Declassified Documents on the Malaysian Riots of 1969 which will be launched on Sunday in conjunction with the 38th anniversary of the tragedy.
This compilation, based on various sets of foreign dispatches and confidential reports at the time – which were declassified recently and made available at the Public Records Office in London – has been dubbed as the first credible account on the incident.
“The real circumstances surrounding the worst racial riot in the history of Malaysia have so far not been made available to the Malaysian public. The official version is fraught with contradictions and inadequacies to which few pay credence,” Kua wrote in the book.
Below are excerpts and summary of the chronology of events based on the declassified documents taken from Kua’s book:
May 10:
The ruling Alliance Party suffered a major setback in the general election although it had managed to retain a simple parliamentary majority. They had lost Penang to the Gerakan Party; Kelantan to the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party while Perak and Selangor were at the brink of falling into the opposition’s hands.
May 11 and May 12:
On both nights, the opposition celebrated their victory. A large Gerakan procession was held to welcome the left-wing Gerakan leader V David back from winning the federal seat in Penang.
May 13:
The MCA which had suffered badly at the polls, announced that it would withdraw from the cabinet while remaining within the Alliance.
A dispatch from a foreign correspondent showed it is evident that there was a plan for youths mobilised by Umno elements to assemble at then Selangor menteri besar Harun Idris’ residence in the late afternoon. A retaliatory march had been planned although police permission was withheld.
When people were still assembling for the parade, trouble broke out in the nearby Malay section of Kampung Baru, where two Chinese lorries were burnt. The ensuing carnage at Kampung Baru and Batu Road quickly spread elsewhere in Kuala Lumpur.
The foreign correspondent noted the curfew that was imposed was not fairly applied to all.
“In the side streets off Jalan Hale, I could see bands of Malay youths armed with parangs and sharpened bamboo spears assembled in full view of troops posted at road junctions. Meanwhile, at Batu Road, a number of foreign correspondents saw members of the Royal Malay Regiment firing into Chinese shophouses for no apparent reason.”
Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman immediately attributed the violence as triggered off by the behaviour of opposition supporters after the election result announcement while his deputy Tun Abdul Razak pinned the blame on the communists.
May 14:
The riots continued but on a smaller scale. The curfew was only lifted in staggered hours in various districts to allow people to buy food. The police called out all possible reserves and handed over the northern part of the city to the army.
Police put casualties for the previous night incident at 44 killed and about 150 injured. Another dispatch showed the casualties were mainly Chinese as it stated that out of 77 corpses in the morgue of the General Hospital on May 14, at least 60 were Chinese.
The government’s attempts to blame the communists for the riots were however not taken seriously by the officials at the British High Commission (BHC) who could see that the Tunku was not prepared to blame his own people for the riots, nor was he going to blame it on the Chinese “as a whole”.
May 15:
The King proclaimed a state of emergency. The National Operations Council headed by Tun Razak was formed. Tun Razak was still responsible to the Tunku, but all the powers under Emergency Regulations were vested in him.
The curfew had been lifted temporarily in Kuala Lumpur that morning but the situation had rapidly worsened and more sporadic fighting had broken out. Curfews were re-imposed but food was very short.
The local press was suspended until censorship regulations could be drawn up but no attempt was made to supervise reports sent out by foreign correspondents.
May 16:
The situation was still tense in Selangor with cars and houses being burned and fatalities rising. Death tolls had risen to 89 with over 300 injured. 24 hour curfew remained in force in Selangor and had also been imposed in Malacca. In Penang and Perak, the situation had improved although the curfew remained in force.
Tunku made a broadcast in which he announced the setting up of a National Defence Force to be manned by volunteers. The new information minister Hamzah Abu Samah and Tun Razak gave a press conference pinning the blame for the riots on communist infiltration of the opposition parties.
There were reports of looting by the largely Malay military and their bias against the Chinese Malaysians. Number of refugees were increasing.
May 17:
From a BHC telegram, it showed there were skepticism among British officers toward the official figures for fatalities and the preponderance of Chinese casualties among the dead. The police estimated the deaths at about 100 now while British officers estimated the proportion of Chinese to Malay casualties is about 85:15.
The press censorship invited criticism not only from the local press but also in diplomatic circles especially when official statements lacked clarity and credibility.
In a confidential BHC memorandum to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the coup d’etat has been acknowledged and it has effected the transfer of power not only to “Malay hands” but also to the security forces. The latter’s professionalism is questioned.
The BHC also noted the Federal Reserve Unit, which at the time was multiracial in composition, was the more impartial of the security forces while the Malay troops were discriminatory in enforcing the curfew.
“Discriminatory takes the form, for example, of not, repeat not, enforcing the curfew in one of the most violently disposed of the Malay areas in Kuala Lumpur (Kampung Baru) where Malays armed with parangs, etc continue to circulate freely; with the inevitable result that gangs slip through the cordon round the area and attack Chinese outside it. In Chinese areas, the curfew is strictly enforced.”
May 18:
The Tunku qualified his earlier assertion that the disturbances were caused by communists, putting the blame instead on assorted “bad elements”. He also announced the deferment of the Sarawak elections and the continuance of the restrictions on the movement of foreign journalists.
The situation was still unsettled in some parts of the capital city.
May 19:
Less than a week after the riots, the reins of power had effectively passed to Tun Razak, indicating that there had been a plot to bring about the coup d’etat.
“The exact relationship between Tun Razak and the Tunku is not clear. In public Tun Razak says he is directly responsible to the Tunku but he has made it clear privately that he is completely in charge of the country. This could mean the beginning of a process of withdrawal by the Tunku as an effective PM”.
There are some 10,000 reported refugees. The local press was allowed to publish under censorship while foreign journalists had their curfew passes withdrawn. Some opposition politicians were arrested.
May 20:
In a meeting, an Australian High Commissioner had suggested the opposition leaders should be given a role as peace maker but Tun Razak and Ghazali Shafie were firmly against this. “They considered opposition leaders would simply use such an opportunity to promote their own political views.”
The Malaysian Red Cross Society is continuing its daily feeding programme for refugees in various places and over 5,000 had received food supplies.
May 21:
The official statistics of casualties at this juncture were 137 killed (18 Malays), 342 injured, 109 vehicles burned, 118 buildings destroyed and 2,912 persons arrested who were mostly curfew breakers.
May 23:
The declassified documents reveal that Malay troops were not only fraternising with the Malay thugs but were discharging their firearms indiscriminately at Chinese shophouses as they went through the city.
“When confronted by foreign correspondents with reports of racial discrimination, Tun Razak flatly denied them. Following this, curfew passes issued to foreign journalists were withdrawn and reporters were ordered to remain indoors ‘for their own safety’.”
A foreign correspondent’s report showed the Malay hooligans were detested by the law-abiding Malays of Kampung Baru.
Internal security and home minister Tun Dr Ismail indicated that the Internal Security Act would be in future amended to “counter changing communist tactics”. It was disclosed that of the 3,699 arrested during the crisis, 952 were members of secret societies.
May 24:
Law and order has been re-established in Kuala Lumpur and the atmosphere in the town had improved. People were going back to work (in non-curfew hours) and the government offices were limbering into action. The curfew remained in force (from 3pm to 6.30am of the following day). The government was not ready to admit that it was armed Malay youth who had caused the disturbances.
May 27:
The Tunku was under pressure to resign as he was clearly incensed by foreign journalists’ speculations about his weakening position and got his private secretary to write a protest note to the BHC.
May 28:
A confidential report by the BHC to the FCO on this day observed the government’s attempts to blame the communists for the disturbances were an attempt to justify their new authoritarian powers.
June:
The riots had been under control but they were still sporadic outbreaks of civil disturbances. A BHC report noted violence erupted again in one part of Kuala Lumpur on the night of June 28 and 29, a number of houses were burnt and the casualties were officially given as five killed and 25 injured. Some disturbances toward the end of June also involved ethnic Indians.
July:
Renewed trouble in which one policeman was killed was quickly stopped from spreading in Kuala Lumpur by positive police action.
Tun Ismail’s firm stand in ordering the security forces to act firmly ‘without favour or discrimination’ to any communal group and the Tunku’s announcement of a National Goodwill Committee made up of politicians of all parties went some way toward allaying the fears of the people.
Tun Ismail also revealed the total arrests since May now stood at 8,114, comprising people “from all the major racial groups”. Of these, 4,192 had been charged in court, 675 released on bail, 1,552 unconditionally released and 1,695 preventively detained.
Situation in the Peninsula had improved substantially but tension remains high in sensitive areas of Malacca, Perak and Selangor.
Tension had begun to ease until Malay agitation connected with Tunku’s return to a position of influence and the removal of Dr Mahathir Mohamad from Umno’s general committee on July 12 had heightened it again. Malay university students petitioned for Tunku’s resignation and demonstrated on the campus.
I need to buy that book! I was nearly stoned to death near a mosque few miles away from Melaka. Reached my dad’s house…got broken side glass changed and a dead engine!! The mechanic asked me how the heck I can drive home with spark plugs all burnt out?
Then I drove back to K.L. with a stop overnight at Seremban…curfew everywhere…just few hours break…so took those few hours to drive home. I guess my Goddess Of Mercy was protecting me in spirit…what else?
Home was at Setepak Garden..Gombak Road.
All stopped fighting after few days….but malays were still burning chinese houses. They carried parangs..we carried bamboo sticks. Seeing us…they ran away…most of the time. At night curfew meaning nothing….they could come out and talk to the soldiers and we are seen….we will be shot!! So we climbed up roof tops to see any more house burning. If so..curfew or no curfew..we were out in force. WE WERE NEVER AFRAID TO DIE. it is our eldest..our chinese leader begging us to be careful everyday.
After a month of high tension…loud speaker came out saying the pengkulu will throw a durian party at the Lee Rubber compound. Our chinese eldest advised us all to go.
Harun was there..giving a speech and so did the pengkulu…crying while he spoked. We listened ..but was not satisfied…but left it as it is…as by nature…we chinese will defend with our lives…but never to start a war with malays. They know our natures and characters.
It was Harun …as said by so many…including the Malays.
I was there too Monty and had to duck bullets fired by the called, “Security Forces”! had to escape a burning shop house. And my experience to tell too. After schooling and studying for a my diploma I was staying in the there then “Princess Road” and somewhat in the thick of it. Well, a little lazy to type for now but let’s see the deniers appear first.
Remember the blady NST and the media kept blaring, “Don’t listen to rumours even while the Indians were massacred in Sentul! That moment onwards, the asshole MSM lost its core credibility to yours truly.
Then witsO….Now the whole world knows the truths!! Were you also trained to use bamboo sticks to fight against parangs and soldiers with sten guns assisting the malays?
It was no joke..fire here there everywhere…burning Chinese houses….UNTIL we came out in force. No use to burn malay house ..we did not do that…as frankly that was not what we want to do. We want to fight and die to protect the innocents.
ONE WHOLE MONTH!! Few hours break from curfew..we go out and buy veges and what ever …and we get pork everyday…free from so many house tom us…youngsters protecting them!!
They even told us…not to worry about food or our family…They will take care. What great love and affections we had…and we were never afraid.
yea witsO….Papers were telling wholesale lies!! They never reported how Gombak Chinese suffered…and each time brought out by speakers….all said lies…nothing but lies. That’s UMNO from the start….never tell the truths…but they did try to satisfy the Chinese by jailing Harun…for corruptions…and cut him off from politics altogether.
If not….Harun could have been PM…he was loved by the ultras…similar to TDM now.
It was like a warzone on “Batu Road”, hard to imagine. The greater killers were the so called “security forces” who also abetted the malay rioters and most were killed by gunshots as testified by the two books that came out after the event, the one by TAR and the other by gomen as a “White Paper”. From them the statistics tells a story by themselves even if they were doctored.
Harun and his ilks brought in their numbers by charterng the KTM and his hate speech ignited the first spilling of blood outside his residence, according to the late MGG Pillai…little reason to doubt this point.
You are relating the story how the whole country went on racial riots…..started by Harun and my goodness…Batu Road…up to certain side roads along Campbell Streets[what is new name now?}….Chinese were bullied killed like flies and houses and shops were burnt too!!
One dear friend of mine died…brothers continue the struggle.
Actually..very much like the Iraqis throwing home made bombs against tanks and armed Jewish soldiers.
When your area stopped…Gombak was still fighting on.
We were all fired up!! NO FEAR.
The whole country never rioted, just KL, also suggesting clearly that it was also a premeditated and manufactured thing.
As I said…I heard the whole thing while I was in Batu Pahat Rest House….hearing Tunku gave up power to General Ibrahim.
Few of us eager to get back to KL..need to make several stops..to respect the curfews. Everywhere..we saw malays shouting at us…telling us to get out of the country. One or two threw stones or broken bricks..but we a group…so they dare not touch us. I think ..had I drove alone…I would have been killed.
Chinese did rushed out running towards the mosques when they saw malays throwing stones at my car near Melaka. I stopped and wanting to join the crowd running towards the mosque but was told to get home fast….to look after my family. I was a new father of a three months old baby.
witsO..you are right…but malays from Batu Pahat till KL..by the old drive roads…no highways…were all fired up to hate chinese…although actual fighting and kililng was in K.Lumpur only.
It’s their brotherhood and victimhood trait.
Sorry for not paying attention to the title…just automatically opened the RSS link. When it says that the book will be “launched on Sunday”, what does it mean? Will it be available in bookstores, online ebook, Amazon.com?
A little off topic here; today is uncle monty’s birthday so lets wish him a very happy day! may you have many many happy returns of the day. do take care… good care of yourself!
As for Tim, am not quite sure but they would like you to go for the launch. you can get an autographed book from the author himself. good isn’t it?
Thank you Susan and your kind message at Sheih’s site.
God bless you all!!
Maybe it is time for all those who have eye-witness accounts of those tumultuous days to get all there stuff in a blog.
But it would need a good moderator to ensure that junk and garbage are not thrown in.
Those were trying times. But as someone said :: “The truth is rarely pure and never simple.” But try as much as one can do to hide it the truth is out there and will one day be discovered.
It is also important to know and understand what the truth can do for us. At the least, i think, it will let us to move on, understanding each other better and maybe, maybe understand the journey better.
Tunku announceed over the TV, (on may15?) the appointment of Tun Razak as the Director of the National Operation Council, and Razak was answerable to him. Two days later, Tun Razak announced over the TV, that as Director of NOC, he answered to the King. So, Tunku was out of power within a week of the riots.
The police and the arm forces were unable, or unwilling to stop the riots. It was after Sarawak rangers were brought in, maybe a week after May 13, that the situation was brought under control.
Loh …You are right about the Sarawak Rangers…as all other forces seems to show favouritism towards their race to keep peace and order.
Oh the third day, things around Kg Baru really calmed down because of the professional Sarawak Rangers, then the Mlays complained to the authorities about that and the Sarawak Ranger was withdrawn and havoc resumed absolutely in their favour. There are layers of ugly mismanagement in the works and no acountability whatsoever, it seemed. The complicity of the authorities were never held into account.
On the third day the General Hospital mortuary stank over a vast area.
The non Malays residential the road facing Kg Baru from Jln. Campbell to the direction of the General Hospital were not merely burnt down. They appeared to have been totally wrecked as I passed that road a week later. The Malay Regiment set up canvas camps for themselves as they were based there(effectively mainly for show).
Lone, okay, let us move on but let it be noted that a lot of actual blame lay with the real shit muddling mismanagement by the various authorities that accounts for the greater number of innocents injured and killed…through enabling, deliberately or otherwise.
I doubt our government can accept it or look at it gentlemanly.
my family lived thru it as well but they never tell me the whole story cause they rather its just a nightmare… its good as that would have kept me patriotic all this while. i guess sometimes you can never bottle up hurtfull things with 1/2 truths and expect them to forget. i can see the similarities now again with Umno ganging up Mat Rempits, FRU, Police and the way the last by-elections went. If this GE opposition wins I guess something like May 13 might happen again. One can never discount that possiblility as they were telling voters that if they did not vote correctly.
The karma of Harun caught up with him fast but he got away easy. Less than two years later KL in sometime late 1970, ther was this great flood. Perhaps as or like a sign of anger from the All-That-Is.
The Gomen cannot face the truth but twist and turn about it. Worse, some elements even look upon the event pridefully as a sign of victory for racism. And they are always using that as some form of fascist intimidation.
Neanderthals!
Wattahack…Your parents are wise..but we must expose all the great cover up’s done by UMNO…or else forever and ever they think we Chinese are a bunch of cowards or selfish idiots.
Had the government do not play the smart role of a devil…then a saint far too long…our country would have no trouble to be rich and healthy long long ago. If they stop…who is going to fill up the UMNO kitty for next genwerals election?
They have no confidence depending on public donations to run a campaign like America…because they know…the amount….no matter how huge donated by the millions to them in good faith is not enough to apply their dirty schemes.
hiyea all:
yeap, agree with Kua here about the information. even in NZ… in our university’s library, we had the documents of 1969 which were never exposed to the Msian public. when you read those things, it’s a different eye altogether.
trouble is, no one really knows what went on. in fact, no one really know what IS going on even with the current political situation.
time to do something mateys =)
Allow me to relate my part of story about MAY 13 /69. My mother was a nurse at the Sungai Buloh hospital or commonly known as the National Leprosy Control Center at that time. I was placed at the childrens home in Batu Arang managed by nuns from foreign countries.
At that time , childrens are not allowed to live in the NLCC. So I was forced to be placed there. That is another part of the story lah.
During the riot , my dad was on his way back from Singapore. So you can imagine, my mum in Sungai Buloh, my dad caught in a curfew in Seremban on the way back and myself with a bunch of kids in Batu Arang. There is no news and communication for a week. My mum was so worried that she could not eat or sleep for the whole week.
Later my dad managed to contact a friend whom is a SB detective in KL to get him back home . However , my mum and dad still could not contact the home. The third week , a catholic priest manage to get news that all children and the home is fine and safe.
My mum told me that foreign embassies had secured police protection for the home.
A few days after the riot , my mum saw truck loads of dead victims of riot being transported to Sungai Buloh to be buried in a common grave inside a cemetery. The common grave is still there and every year during Ching Ming , a group from a Buddhist association will perform prayers for the victims.
I had visited the common grave , some have the victims’ name written on the tombstone but some with just numbers .
It was a dreadful day for everyone.
But , do you know that all races in Sungai Buloh had cooperated to protect each other if the riot to overspill to Sungai Buloh hospital?
The malay folks had even offered the chinese folks to stay in their house! While the indian folks had volunteered to venture out to seek news and gather food supplies. This was Muhibbah Spirit!
That is why I believe, the May 13 incident was not a race riot but a political riot created by individuals.
Until today , I still believe , race and religion was not an issue here in Malaysia. It is the individual and narrow minded of certain people especially people in power that KILLS the Spirit.
BR :
“Until today , I still believe , race and religion was not an issue here in Malaysia. It is the individual and narrow minded of certain people especially people in power that KILLS the Spirit.”
You got it. That’s why these evil ppl owes the country an apology which never came but instead made political capital out of it, no end. That’s why the so-called “Malaysian Values” continues to be tainted when the very official version of it misleads no end. All forms and no substance and what to expect when built upon these screwed and upside down premises. False pride, hubris, racism and facism.
bamboo river..It was never a racial conflicts…but dirty filthy devilish politicians love to see chinese and malays do not get close and behave like Malaysians…even up to today. But time and technology have change to their disadvantages…so we are in better times.
I for one moment do not think the so call mat rempits have the majority young malays on their side now….to start a similar event as some are afraid of. Time has changed and all races are more educated…..can think for themselves.
I am so glad to read such loving co-operations amongst all races at Sungai Buloh….but Gombak…batu road….different altogether!
It is the government we must now keep focusing not to keep treating voters as suckers…..and voters must change their mindsets to think for the country as whole.
Strange…government knows the logic of win win situations on so many things…but most important win win concept concerning Malaysians unity….they seldom talk about it at all. There you see the mentalities of BN ….especially UMNO …all orthers are puppets on the strings.
Brilliant. I have been waiting for this book for the last 30 years.
I was lucky to be born 7 years after this happened. I have gone through the M’sian education system without little or no knowledge about this. The only knowledge I got were accounts from my parents who were working/living in KL at that time.
I would certainly recommend this to all young M’sians who are eager to learn about their country’s past. History is often written by the victor but in order to know more about our nation’s past, we need to learn about it with an unbiased mind, without any underlying political agenda.
What Malaysia needs to do is to heal the wounds that have festered since May 13.
Maybe we can learn from South Africa. Soon after gaining majority rule, Nelson Mandela formed the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that toured the country to hear testimony of those who commited crimes and their victims.
It is a tough undertaking but it enables both perpetrators and victims to experience closure.
The victims can forgive the perpetrators and the latter can ask forgiveness.
Only then will Malaysia be able to progress further.
HJ Angus….Good suggestion….but I doubt they will do it…as once their advisers say do that…and you loose lots of votes….they will ignore doing it…as they care for themselves..their UMNO party than the country last…that’s the order of merit.
Vote for change is only hope.
Again HJ Angus..it’s way way long too late to be sincere to us. We have enough of their race and religion politics….as I hope in my lifetime to see a malay marrying another race with different religion to live happily..with no religions to control their love..dignities and way of life. It’s like in Indonesia…truly more democratic country than Malaysia by miles apart.
Bamboo river, its good that you highlight the fact that during those trying times, not all malays or chinese were hungry for each others’ blood. I haven’t read this book but I hope it gives credit also to those malays who had sheltered the chinese or vise versa. It helps the reconcilliation process.
Its easy sometimes to single out one race as the culprit and the other as a victim. Its good also that they point out that it is not a simple racial riot but a pre-planned event to achieve a political agenda. Are we moving into the same direction again? Wattahack raised a good point.
Moving forward, how would the chinese convince the malays that if the “ketuanan” position is compromised or reversed, the malays would not be discriminated against. Singapore, southern Thailand, Mindanao tell a different story.
One simple example is the hue and cry over maybanks 50% bumi partner policy for its panel lawyers. I do agree that it is unfair BUT let us be honest with ourselves. What is happening in foreign-owned and “chinese” banks? Please don’t ask me for statistic because I don’t have. Its for discussion purpose. We have to face the truth and are we prepared?
Right you are Angus, that’s a positive way and right way but the officially promoted version of Malay machoism will never be able to achieve it. In the hubris driven cultural landscape as such, there is fear of appearing as less jantan. As can be seen from the Keris opera, the Parliamentary Leak misogyny and Kunan’s “Women Bloggers are liars” insult, etc. False pride pervades and primitive egotism are too deeply rooted.
Yet one is expected to be proud of Bodohland for such sleazy bangsatness in approach.
Jean, statistics can be dry and trying. This is not to say that they cannot have truth in them. Malays especially surely find it hard to believe that the wealth of the country were not in Chinese hands prior to ’69 and that foreigners own the wealth. A very inconvenient truth to some. This canard has been kept alive for ages.
It’s easy to stay solely within the victimhood premises and not examine the nature of that as to where the fault may be residing is all too convenient. To say that ketuanan is the only solution is leading towards justifying fascism as worthy practice.
“In the age of the internet, what does banning a book mean? We can put it on the Web, you can’t do anything.”
…. brilliant!
Even the ‘Satanic Verses’ is obtainable FOC. Hahaha!
Wits0, don’t get the wrong idea that I am promoting the idea of “ketuanan.” Not at all. I was only trying to bring forward the thought of a typical malays. Malays cannot continue looking at the chinese as the aggressors and the chinese cannot continue looking at theselves as the oppressed. All sides have to honestly look at themselves. Are we really being fair to each other? Or are we still looking at each other with suspicions? All of us are not racist. Are we? For God’s sake, we are all victims! Start from there.
Yes I’m aware you are not, Jean, as I’m aware also the thinking of a typical malay….something that makes him think he must have all sorts of insurance bestowed upon him to feel safe, without according a second thought as to how others may feel consequently. The gomen promotes that in various ways for their own agenda’s sake and yet presume an impossible 2020 vision. Delusion, actually.
We are the bloody fools! We choose to be so.
Why? God knows….and as sure a an unnatural event like a sunaimi sea waves come killing thousands because we go against nature…same reactions will be for our country….oil will dry up….and we become the poorest country in S.E.Asia out of our own idiotic many selfish mentalities by being afraId to vote for change…to try something new..and no good….never too late to go back to old one. In USA…they swing from Dem to Rep with no fear…yet here we dare not even allow others to manage the country…25 million…so small a country…yet so much race distinctions…..and can criticise others…especially TDM…Doing it for years with no shame…..what a real hypocrite he is.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH OUR VOTERS??
Monsterball…..Our voters are :
1) Insecure……no guaranteed protection from opposition.
2) Ignorant……Do not want to know what is happening behind the
political doors.
3) Indecisive….unable to weight the pros and cons of a party.
4) Imperfect…..make a mistake and regret for the next 5 years to repeat
the same thing AGAIN.
5) Lost in transition??…..After all the overnight traffic light and what not for that first 3 months to find out later they do not need a traffic light in a kampung road and could not locate the MP for the next 50 months till they appear again for the next GE with a new traffic light this time using Light Emitting Diode instead of the conventional bulb!
So are we any of the above ?
bamboo river trying to be too smart with me again asking me silly question.
First you answer me…are you one of those before asking me such stupid question.
What do you want me to say? Tell me quick!!
Dare you ask Susan same question to me.
Love to read her response..hahahahaha
hi bamboo river…if you read RPK’s latest “Taming of the Strew”….you will come to realise our UMNO politicians are really thinking for themselves ..by themselves and with themselves only.
We truly have built up a country with so many cunning and selfish citizens….just because they see the politicians are doing it…so it is ALWAYS…not what you know..but who you know to be successful, No such qualifications? …. how about do you know the art of carrying balls? Believe me…..not so easy as you think. That is another way to be successful. So we can conclude UMNO thinks they own Malaysia and the people….must listen…only to them and must learn to carry balls to gain their respect.
Our country do have alot of shit people making us smart and hard working blokes look like idiots….find it so difficult to make a living…while the real idiots drive Merz or BMW…so successful people…which they are not…and we have no choice but to drive basic tin can cars like Protons.
What a shit life! Who is to be blame?… bamboo river lah….hahahahahaha
Gosh.. something keeps popping into mind while reading all these “UMNO recruting all the Mat Rampits” Are they setting up something again?!? One has got to wonder!
So Chiwi…..Does that frightens you …so best keep voting BN and have peace and harmony/
“Peace and Harmony” via Thought Control.
Vision 2020 Peace and Harmony through Bravery and Righteousness ACTIONS…Without Fear nor Favour.
The more we keep quiet…the more we will stand to loose….so speak out without fear.
Thought Control begats piss and “sham-only”
Something’s wrong here. 😦
I hated it when my dad starts giving his hate speech about the Chinese and how his life in Singapore under Lee Kuan Yew was a living hell. Until now, he hates Tunku – for betraying them and giving Singapore away.
Tunku may be some hero in Malaysia, but he’s no hero to the Malay Singaporeans.
And what’s wrong here…the same hate speech that i was forced to listen to as i was growing up – except it’s about my race. I thought we were Malaysians now. But i guess there’s always a chinese, indian or malay in us that’s raring to go and forgo the fact that we’re Malaysians. Sad, that the comments were given by the same people who spoke about the crisis of identity and how we should look at ourselves as Malaysians only.
muhammadyunus…I seem to hear ..everytime we point out the wrongs of the UMNO politicians to the chinese or Indians..it is taken as we are speaking against malays.
Even now..UMNO plays race and religion….yet you keep quiet.
So it is you that is a racialist…not the other races in Malaysia. I hope you get your sense of logics corrected…if you truly is not a racialist …the are you thinking all other races are second class citizens?…you happy to have us here…no problems…but we must not speak against the malays from UMNO?
You know why your father hates Tunku? He is living as a minority in S’pore and can feel the differences. Your father having a hell of a life in S’pore? Sure it is..if he does not keep up with the S’porean Chinese on productivity work.
He hates Tunku for throwing S’pore out of Malaysia…for selfish reasons..and that started a racialist political party in Malaysia. That is why the real founder… Onn bin Jaffar[I hope I got the name right!} resigned. He was the founder of UMNO…not Tunku. Go ask him.
But I do not hate Tunku..get it clear. He has to do what he thought was good for our country at that time. He was a fair and kind hearted leader. I love him.
What do I know about politics….but I do know BN politcians are playing race and religion politics in Malaysia…..since Merdeka time and on going.
given Tunku a chance..he would have abolished all these long ago….totally out dated by now.
So on going race and religion dirty politics….you like it?
monsterball…to an extent, you’re right mate. I’m not a fan of UMNO either, i am just merely worried. In fact, despite being malay, i have many times been a victim of UMNO’s sillyness with policies that is umbrella-ed by their intentions to so-call help the malays – while in fact only the few malays really benefit.
However, i downright disagree about your comment about my father and the malay singaporeans for that matter – being less competitive resulting in life as hell. Favouritsm or discrimination is not a phenomenon which is only faced by Malaysia. It may be something which is unnoticeable but it is only because it was implemented or carried out covertly and not outright in your face, like the NEP. My dad is hard working and mind you, highly competitive. He is professor in a local uni and PhD holder from the London School of Economics, UK. And there are many like him in Malaysia, malay singaporeans that ran to malaysia – did not want to contribute via NS, changed citizenship and succeeded in life.
The Malays in Singapore were pretty much marginalised just like the chinese and indians here. And after decades of discrimination and favouritism, the Singapore government allowed meritocracy to roll – yipee? No. How is that fair when a footing of a particular race is already behind? But fairness is not a concern isn’t it? Placing a race behind yours before the race started was the plan anyway. Tsk tsk tsk.
UMNO and NEP’s main agenda or goal was to reduce that socio-economic gap. But as you said, there exists UMNO punks that depsite 50 years of independence and 40 years of NEP being implemented, we see nothing except the socio-economic gap being increased further. It’s good to see that Badawi is trying to reduce the gap by increasing the salary of civil servants, but how does that makes us malays less dependent on the government. Are we malays too retarded to work in the private sector? It’s not good enough to give the fish. You also need to teach them to fish. Only then, they will survive when meritocracy rules.
Dirty politics, NEP, UMNO, Lee Kuan Yew, call it what you want. This racial phobia that you claim is used by UMNO and BN is nonsense and has no grounds any longer. Well i hope so mate. I would hate to see my children brought up in another ‘singapore’.
muhammadyunus…Your dad is well educated and cannot be used as an example of what I wanted to imply.
Singapore Malays are similiar situation as the Chinese in Indonesia….a very low percentage. …so it is toe the line or else.
Whereas in Malaysia we have more than 32% 50 years ago…down to now 27%..still a very significant large population. Furthermore…the history of Malaysia cannot be what is today without the help of Chinese building most of the cities in Malaysia…yet in history books…nothing to glorify the Chinese for such great contributions. Even the role of Chin Peng …saving thousands of malays being killed or raped by Japanese soldiers not told truthfully in history books….yet they still won’t let that 82 year old man hero come back art die at his home town. Allowing it…means they admit their cover up’s for decades. So you think UMNO changed alot?
Until and unless the government is sincerely telling the real truths of how we form the country…how it grew…who really defended it from Japanese invasions…don’t try to convince me or millions Chinses UMNO is not a racialist party.
This is my phobia? Well I hope you are right…as we are talking lives and future of our children and their children.
Being HUMAN before being Hainanese or Hockchew or Acehnese or Bugis or Minangkabau or Malayalee or Singhalese or Punjabi changes one’s perspective on EVERYTHING. Ethnocentric politics have been used like a Tower of Babel to divide and rule for countless generations – the same tricks keep getting recycled in every country by the same tiny handful of Puppetmasters. Long ago I realized that anything that triggers reactions of FEAR, ANGER, HATE, HOSTILITY, PARANOIA, SUSPICION cannot possibly be a Healthy Response – but those who own and control the mainstream media constantly resort to Scare Tactics to manipulate the masses. That’s how this world has been maintained as a Chicken Run enterprise – the vast majority being helpless constantly clucking chickens pecking at the feed trough while a few smarter ones work as PR consultants fand general managers or the godlike farm-owners. Look how Franklin Delano Roosevelt ALLOWED Pearl Harbor to happen (even though he knew the plan weeks in advance) just so American public opinion would swing overnight in favour of entering the war… and, more recently,how George H.W. Bush (as CIA head in the mid-1970s) created the “Islamic Militant” bogeyman by nurturing messianic leaders like Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden and funding the Taliban and allowing Mossad agents to recruit young hotheads for fake “terrorist networks” like Al Qaeda. Lots more examples: Operation Gladio in Italy – where the rightwing government and P2 launched false flag ops like setting off bombs in railway stations and blaming the Communists and Anarchists – just to keep themselves in power indefinitely (same ploy that the Neocon White House is using to cling to power, even considering the sacrifice of thousands of disposable bystanders and young “cannon fodder” as a price worth paying). A Hindu poverb wisely observes that “dictators ride on the backs of tigers from which they dare not dismount.” The best thing all of us can do is to raise our own consciousness – become Buddhas and Gandhis and Nelson Mandelas and Jalal al-Din Rumis and Jesuses in our own right. AND QUIT FOLLOWING HYPOCRITICAL SELF-SERVING PROFESSIONAL MISLEADERS AND MASS MANIPULATORS! Enlightened Humans can gather in peaceful conference or celebrate the glorious diversity of LIFE without ever feeling threatened by differences in skin colour or outlook or language or culinary preference. Peace Be Unto The Family Of Life!
How to become a Buddha when one is so absorbed and bought with the typical conspiracy theory/canard of the day, Antares, to spread it around without re-examination? Jesus was on a spiritual mission not a revolutionary one. Nelson Mandela is an overhyped personality and a Marxist….although nowhere as bad as Mugabe. Both were promoted by the European powers in a hurry to leave.
What are Neo-cons beside beig mainly a term coined by the Leftist Post-Modernists?
Gandhi wasn’t that spiritual, his tactic worked (circumstantially)in India where he also made idiotic and subsequently costly decisions. It couldn’t work in South Africa.
You forget to mention the islamic hate speeches coming the pulpits of the muslim world like those in the middle east. These are more dangerous anytime because the audience are usually even more ignorant and unfree, like herds.
Religions sucks!!
Don’t for a moment think that the May 13 incident involved only Chinese vs Malays and vice versa. I am a Chinese Malaysian and was almost killed by a bunch of Chinese youths in Old Klang Road (near the old Puchong Police Station) despite me calling out to them that I was Chinese. Who saved me in the nick of time – 6 Malay policemen in a land rover jeep who plied me to safety, seeking refuge at the police station.
Billy…maybe you look like a malay?
Anyway…you are very lucky and I wonder how many more such cases.
Monty I can’t simply say religion sucks. Only that which seeks to control all aspects of human behaviour and suffocates all human creativities. That’s why the first step to human liberation is not to have any theocracy but let religion be a private persuasion. This discernment is necessary.
The Turks turned out in their millions against the islamists…..and they are muslims. They seem to understand something very well, something that delusionary Bodohland cannot and will not grasp: : http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/turkey
Billy, I witnessed with my own eyes howa police landrover turned tail from the rioters without attempting to stop them while the Radio Malaysia was blaring out nonsensical advices to not listen to rumours and stay calm….!#*%#!!
The Yahoo link doesn’t seem to be working. Working links:
http://www.turkishweekly.net/news.php?id=45010
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/bomb-blasts-turkish-marketplace-a-day-before-rally/2007/05/12/1178899161319.html
http://jurnalo.com/jurnalo/storyPage.do?story_id=35027
[…] in police, malaysian madness, politics, media, announcements, news Yes, believe me. It’s Dr Kua Kia Soong’s book on May 13. By confiscating the controversial book, by threatening the author and showing indication they […]
Religions sucks!!
Religions sucks!! how annoying to hear tis. monsterball.. ppl always talk about the freedom of speech. n yes i respect! when we want other ppl respect our way of thinking but we dont. wut do u think?
I think the government of today in Malaysia owe it to the general public, it’s citizens, the truth behind the May 13th riots in Malaysia. Many believe that the ruling government then had a strong hand in this. Let the truth be known and let the people be better informed outside of the cloud of secrecy and ISA threats.
Government by the poeple, for the people should be of paramount importance. Malaysia cannot truly move forward with racial harmony and unity if it does not know what really happed in the past, namely the riots of May 13th. To avoid it in the future, you must learn from the past. Tunku was a victim, so were the general public of 1969. Let the culprits be brought to justice, if they are still alive. Tun Razak had a strong hand in this, I am sure.
kARut…it sucks because UMNO is using it to control the minds of weak voters…not free it to think freely…and it sucks…because religious teachers of all faiths are just ignoring it and keep minding their own business. The only one who spoke against UMNO indirectly was the Buddhist Chief Reverend..the late Dr. Dhammanada.
Religions are all good..but people make use of them to control the minds…not free them…to learn more truths.
kARut…..Just because Pas is famous for that type of politics..does not mean UMNO must prove they are more sincere muslims to play religions in different manners. please do not twist with the word Islam and those are not true muslims. All I know Malays cannot choose…must be a muslim….ONLY IN MALAYSIA….NO SUCH CONTROLS ALL OVER THE WORLD!!
The end results…politicians are real hypocrites…bring their flock of sheeps to the bad reputation and names….poor people..still plenty half past six.
Monsterball,
You seem to have a lot of opinions regarding this issue, so I’d like to ask for your idea about the Malays not being able to choose a religion other than Islam in Malaysia. I’d always thought that those restrictions were imposed because of the NEP’s pro-Malay stance. Am I right to think so?
I’d just like to read what you have to type. Thanks. 🙂
[…] Dr Kua Kia Soong released a book unveiling the truth behind the infamous May 13th riots. His book, May 13: Declassified Documents on the Malaysian Riots of 1969, is the result of three […]
Kenyataan Rasmi & Lengkap
Komunite Seni Jalan Telawi (KsJT)
Bantahan terhadap Rampasan Buku tentang 13 Mei
Rampasan buku “May 13: Declassified Documents on the Malaysian Riots of 1969” karangan Dr Kua Kia Soong oleh pihak Kementerian Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (KKDN) beberapa hari lalu sangat memprihatinkan kami.
Apatah lagi terdapat desakan daripada beberapa pihak di Dewan Negara agar buku ini diharamkan.
Langkah-langkah seumpama ini bukan sahaja boleh dianggap tidak demokratik, tetapi juga tidak mempunyai sikap yang beradab dalam kehidupan masyarakat yang terbuka dan menghargai perbezaan pandangan.
Kami berasa sangat kesal terhadap tindakan seumpama ini yang kami anggap sudah ketinggalan zaman.
Walaupun topik “rusuhan kaum 13 Mei” sering dikatakan isu sensitif tetapi ia tidak wajar ditutup daripada dibincangkan secara terbuka. Usaha menyemak semula fakta-fakta sejarah dan memberikan tafsiran-tafsiran baru berdasarkan kajian terkini haruslah sentiasa digalakkan, bersesuaian dengan perkembangan arus maklumat dunia dan ke arah mematangkan bangsa Malaysia yang kini berusia 50 tahun sejak merdeka.
Kami berpendapat, masanya sudah tiba untuk masyarakat Malaysia membahaskan isu-isu sejarah seumpama ini agar ia boleh dijadikan tauladan dan sempadan kepada kita bagi mengorak langkah membina bangsa Malaysia yang bersatu, progresif, berbudaya ilmu dan bertoleransi.
Kami juga bimbang, selagi isu “rusuhan 13 Mei” tidak dibuka untuk dikaji dengan mendalam, dan selagi ia enggan dibincangkan secara ilmiah seumpama buku “May 13: Declassified Documents on the Malaysian Riots of 1969”, maka tragedi malang ini akan selama-lamanya boleh diperalatkan untuk menimbulkan buruk sangka dan keresahan antara kaum di negara ini.
Selama ini, ingatan “13 Mei” sering diperalatkan oleh orang politik — baik pemimpin parti kerajaan atau pemimpin parti pembangkang — dan juga kumpulan-kumpulan Islam setiap kali apabila muncul perbahasan tentang isu-isu yang melibatkan pergeseran kepentingan kaum dan agama.
Tanggal “13 Mei” telah dijadikan momok, telah dijadikan lembaga jahat, untuk menakut-nakutkan orang ramai daripada membahaskan isu-isu penting tertentu. Tarikh “13 Mei” telah disebut-sebut sebagai amaran, khususnya kepada kaum bukan Melayu dan penganut agama bukan Islam.
Sebab itu, kami yang bertandatangan di bawah, yang sebahagian besar kumpulan aktivis, penulis, seniman, dan wartawan muda Melayu berasa terpanggil agar isu “13 Mei” dibenarkan dibincangkan secara terbuka, ilmiah dan tenang.
Sekian, terima kasih.
Komunite Seni Jalan Telawi (KsJT),
Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur
18 Mei 2007
Yang benar:
Hasmi Hashim, jurucakap Komunite Seni Jalan Telawi (KsJT)
Amir Sari, koordinator Institut Kajian Dasar (IKD)
Mustaqeem Mahmood Radhi, pengarah Middle Eastern Graduates Center (MEGC)
Fathi Aris Omar, wartawan & penulis buku
Khairul Anam Che Mentri, penterjemah buku
Firdaus Isa, penyelaras MEGC
Ammar Gazali, pegawai penyelidik MEGC
[…] Here’s why: It is miserable and maddening that many conveniently jump to the conclusion that ‘May 13’ is the bible that bestows true historic account of what actually transpired and what aroused […]
NEp was the fruit of the May 13 tragedy. Which is the greater tragedy, NEP of the riots ? Malays have have the NEP for 40 YEARS !!!! God , thats a whole generation of help. Everything is given to them on a silver platter. We have one of the highest ration of civil servant to the public in the world, and we are still increasing the ration by creating new goverment departments, and lately, Bada-wits have just annouced a 30% increase of the police force !Years in years out, the country have to put the malays throught the education system to placard them even with their low performance.So we end up with thousand of half baked graduates that can’t compete in the open market. Into the goverment they goes with all the perks and benefits PLUS all the undercounter money too. Malaysia , land of stupidity, completely corrupted from top to bottom, and we are going 2020, MALAYSIA BOLEH !!!!!
Dotman, woud you be saying the same things if all those benefits were given to the Chinese community only? What would you say if those benefits were given to the Indians? Still buat bising kan?
The Chinese in general are a very lucky race-always surviving. No matter where they go there is always success. West, east, our business mindedness usually saves us. That is our strength. although it is not fair that one race should get more benefits than the other it is also not fair that certain Chinese people think it fine and dandy to go slagging off and belittling other races, and also, disowning their own Chinese people just because of skin tone. I’m talking about the Chinese thinking that being fair skinned and pure as the only way of preserving their culture. Dont’ deny it-you know very well it happens and would you see a half or half Malay half Chinese as one of your own? No.
Even tho the riots were a disgusting period and an embarrassment to Malaysians they were also a lesson on how ugly racism can be. Not just against the Chinese. For all I know I could’ve had an uncle or aunt or some other relative killed there, be they Chinese or Malay. But fast forward to the future and what do you get? I used to work in a Chinese company. My boss was Indian. The other rest were Chinese. she used to get bullied just because she was the sole Indian manager. all the ‘lower’ or manual staff were either Indian or Malay. Scholarships were granted to Chinese people only. I met some applicants myself who were bright and they were a fusion of Malays, Chinese, and Indians. But only the Chinese made the cut. When I approched a Chinese friend about this he said, ‘well the Chinese are more suitable. More better. At what? Being racist?
so tell me, how would it be different if the Chinese had ‘more rights’ and privelidges as the Malays? I myself as half Malay and half Chinese won’t be taking any of those benefits on. Will the Malays and Indians be in the top management of a Chinese company? Will they be welcomed in the home of a traditonal Chinese family as one of their own should their own Chinese son/daughter desire to marry a non Chinese? If you want to show how great and superior you are show a better example of yourself instead of picking on those a tad darker than you. How about teaching a fellow Malay or Indian or other race how to speak in Mandarin/Cantonese? They’ll thank you for that you know.
Stop create hatred. Fights are common.Commonly people fight because of wealth, power and women.
Even amongst siblings there are fights. If you are Jew, Christians and Muslims you would know what the brothers of Yusof did to him. Why? because of jealousy.
I would dare to say amongst us we saw our relatives fight, take sides etc.
It is a natural for a person to be near to its kind. If not then we would have given our wealth to other than the near relatives.
However having said the above we should be fair and just when it matter most.
Life is a cycle, today you are at the top, the next day, you might be at the bottom.
It is not easy to be at the top and be responsible to other lives. I wonder what our action would be if we are the leader, easy said than done.
Are we at all the time impartial? If yes, then you are ready to lead.
I pray and hope war and civil riots would not happen at where I am living.Just have a feel if your house or family is not in tandem.Good luck.
Peace
I was not a product of that era, and find it quite hard to imagine what it could have been like. The Book was an interesting read and gave great light to our History and shows with great certainty where the country is leading to.
The qualms and claims on Malay rights were always there prior to independence, but it was balanced out by our Founding Fathers, namely Tunku, and the 2 Tuns. The Brits were never going to give us independence unless we were united. Tunku and the rest of the founding fathers gave us that unity.
They also fought off the communist idealism that was also a great threat to the nation at that time.
they did a great job, however racism was eminent and eventually gave way.
That is the truth. Tun Razak and his Elite followers stepped up created bloodshed and ousted the Tunku. They have since been in power and contitue to shape our nation for the past 38 years. His Son now is next in line and so are his close relatives including Nephew. They will surely carry on this “great” racist legacy as left by Tun Razak.
In my opinion Politicians come and go, they would want to reap the benefits of their office by what ever means. This is evident.
However if our leaders like Tunku were of Royal Lineage, they would be would tow the line in some form of neutrality, as the importance and growth of the Nation is something dear to them and to the bloodline.
We should place more faith of the Doctrine of Constitutional Monarchy and the Rule of Law. I think the Royals are our (Malaysia’s) only savior. They have the power and the will to put the racist politics in check .
Spartcuz, 31yrs old, Malaysian
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..see below link, on how Kua Kia Soong manipulate the history of May 13.
http://jebatmustdie.wordpress.com
..The Chinese Will Never be Happy, unless they kick all the Malay or forming another “Singapore” state.
..If Malaysia developed because of the Chinese, then tell me any successful business man who also develop countries such as in Africa, there are here because we, Malays are kind enough to let them live in Tanah Melayu..
[…] provides the other general view, which argues that UMNO played a key role in May 13 (read here and here). This has ofcourse has been challenged by many in UMNO. A general rebuttal (in a non-academic way) […]