My personal recollections of May 13

Today is May 13, the 40th anniversary of Malaysia's racial riots tragedy of 13 May 1969. The riots led to a declaration of a state of national emergency, suspension of parliament by the Malaysian government, and the establishment of the National Operations Council to govern the country between 1969 and 1971.

I was in University then. In fact just 3 days before emergency was declared, on 10 May 1969, to earn some extra pocket money, I was working as a polling clerk in a polling station in Brickfields Kuala Lumpur for the Elections Commission. The racial riots happened after the fateful 10 May general election. Infact when I was at the polling station there were whispers that trouble could be brewing in Kuala Lumpur. The polling station supervisor told all his polling clerks to go back home straight away after work and not to linger around. In fact, my Father came around to the polling station on his way back from work and we went home together.

When the curfew was imposed and we were all confined to the house, the exception was my Father who was taken to work by the police in the police 4 wheel drive everyday early in the morning, coming back only very late in the evening. I remember my Mother was always very worried. I remember asking my father what work he had to do. He told me that he was taken by the police to some Chinese areas where he had to explain the situation to the Chinese community. I think probably the police used my Father's services as a translator to reach out to the community in an effort to restore confidence and law and order.

When finally the curfew was lifted and I went back to lectures, even in the University, the Malay and the Chinese students became wary of one another. The normally noisy faculty canteen was unusually quiet for quite a few days. My best friend then was a Malay girl who I had been close to since secondary school days. Even she and me were avoiding each other for a while. I also heard that my friend, Ruby lost her elder brother in the riots and a few weeks after that Ruby stopped attending lectures as her whole family migrated to Canada.

What prompted the worst racial riots in Malaysia's history? I don't think the Malays hated the Chinese neither did the Chinese hate the Malays. Many of us have good friends from different races. The Malays and Chinese could not have suddenly decided to fight. I don't think it was like that. I blame it all on politics and the politicians.