Malaysia
May 13 riots
Exactly 34 years ago, race violence broke out in Kuala Lumpur and elsewhere in Selangor. Imperative that the new generations of Malaysians and Singaporeans do not forget.
May 13, 2003

According to police statistics, in three days of rioting 184 people died and 356 were wounded. A total of 753 cases of arson to buildings and 211 vehicles were destroyed or damaged 211.

The hot troubled spots were Kuala Lumpur and parts of Selangor, which were put on 24-hour curfew, a few minor incidents in Malacca - but sparing most other states.

There were no incidents in the East Coast and Johor (where no curfew was declared). Other states - Penang, Kedah, Pahang and Perlis, too, had no problems.

Why did May 13 happen? How did it start? What really happened? We run three articles that can tell part of the story for history students - two of them based on excerpts of books by Tunku Abdul Rahman and Dr. Mahathir Mohamad.

The third was written in 1998 by reform activist Raja Petra Bin Raja Kamarudin, who had since joined Keadilan opposition party, affiliated to Former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

The Tunku blamed members of Chinese-based parties (Gerakan and Democratic Action Party) who shouted insults at Malays in a precession; he also said Chinese secret societies and the Malayian Communist Party played major roles.

Dr. Mahathir, outgoing Prime Minister, saw the cause as more fundamental.

"There was never racial harmony. There was (only) tolerance," he said. He attributed it to the economic imbalance between Chinese and Malays.

The official records of May 13 skip many details; they are a sanitised version of what really happened at the UMNO counter-procession which started at the house of Selangor Menteri Besar Harun Idris.

No one talked about his role.

Raja Petra offered an eyewitness account. He was then 19, planning to get married. He blamed it on race-based politicians playing racial politics to win votes, talking about "Malay rights", "Chinese rights" etc.

"Until today, they're still doing it," he said.
By Seah Chiang Nee