As the 50th anniversary of the May 13 incident draws close, the writer urges Malaysians, especially the government of the day, to place race relations as its topmost priority.
TO ME, May 13 was simply some obscure fact of history. In school, I barely paid attention to it because when it occurred, I was only in Primary One at St Marks Primary School in Butterworth.
Many who died in the May 13 riot were innocent bystanders. Children, women and the elderly. Some, like those whose names were marked on the gravestones, were probably walking home at night or eating at a stall or playing with his or her daughter when a mob with parangs, knives and keris ran berserk and started slashing everyone in their path. There were also reports of shootings by the army at curious people who were outside on their verandah during the enforced curfew.
Along with the date of death, the gravestones at the Sungai Buloh cemetery marked the names of those who had their identity cards with them. There were many graves that only had “Unidentified Chinese” on the headstone. In that scenario, when would my wife and I know about the death of our daughter or son? That thought chilled me to my bones so much that I had a sleepless night that day.
I strongly believe we need to give a meaning to posterity to all those who have died. And this can be done in two important ways. These legislatures should offer their own prayers and a common ikrar that may sound like “Kami bersumpah akan mentadbir Negara Malaysia ini dengan adil dan saksama agar peristiwa berdarah May 13 tidak akan berlaku lagi” .
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