Today marks 55 years since May 13, 1969. The racial riots remain a truly traumatic experience for our young nation. While there is a generation of Malaysians who did not live through the incident, many of us still bear its open wounds to this day, with mere mentions of the May 13 riots striking fear into the hearts of Malaysians.
On this day, Pusat KOMAS reminds the rakyat of how this narrative of fear has divided our country. In 2024, it is sad to see Malaysians continue to be held ransom by power-hungry politicians who wield May 13 like an axe over our heads, for their own political gains.
Lest we forget that it was also a group of power-hungry individuals who sparked the flame that caused the violence and senseless killings on this day 55 years ago.
Over this past year, we saw several instances where May 13 was weaponised in political narratives by certain parties.
We, Pusat KOMAS, call on the coalition government to let the history books be its guide in fostering healthy racial relations in the country. At the same time, Malaysians across the country must take the lead in their communities to push back against the tide of antagonising racial narratives, and to do what they can to learn from the tragedies of May 13.
As a nation, we must try to move on from this great devastation and must ensure that such senseless violence never happens again on this land.
Statement released by
Pusat KOMAS
13 May 2024