RIP: Ghost of May 13th

Where May 13th died, there born March 8th.

When the GE12 poll results being announced that particular night, the fear of of an impending racial clash is tickling on the corner of my heart. The memories of May 13th is still vivid in many Malaysians mind, its ghost had haunted us for many generations since the 1969 incident. My question is simple, will it happen again, tomorrow or the days after? I told my wife, tomorrow will be the watershed day on whether Malaysian democracy has matured.

God willing, it was peaceful for days to follow.

Yes, perhaps we, as a nation had walked out of gloomy shadow of the bloodshed of May 13th, 1969.

Read a piece of writing on Disquiet, a blog which I have vigorously followed lately, its writer Malik Imtiaz, a prolific lawyer and human right activist gave a sterling performance when interviewed by Al Jazeera during the Bersih campaign last year. The article is a beautifully wrote piece of intellectuals. It summed up well on the aspirations of many Malaysians. I especially like the ending part,

".....Throughout the country, Malaysian of all communities had voted in support of a multi-racial opposition. They had voted on issues and not on race. There was no reason for any clashes, neither was there a context. Malaysian politics had matured."

and

".....perhaps we had laid to rest the ghost of May 13th. I would like to think so."


From his writings, it is interesting to note that the 75th opposition candidate that denied the Barisan Nasiaonal 2/3 majority is none other than Loh Gwo Burne, the Lingamgate video man. Perhaps, this is his destiny, after all.