BEYOND the proclamation of independence, the most defining moment of this nation’s history are the events that unfolded on May 13, 1969.
Over 50 years have passed, yet, for all intents and purposes, information on the subject remains scarce. 'Life After: Oral Histories of the May 13 Incident' is a remarkable manuscript that puts to paper firsthand accounts of that fateful day.
Published in 2022 by Gerakbudaya, the 250-page volume compiles 20 stories narrated by seven witnesses and 21 family members of victims. It also contains a series of essays by noted scholars Dr Diana Wong, Dr Por Heong Hong (who is a co-author of the book), Dr Jomo Kwame Sundaram, among many others.
The May 13 incident remains the worst political violence this country has ever seen, with the official death at 196, though independent observers claim the number to be closer to 600.
The Malaysian government’s response was to introduce a flurry of new policies and initiatives to improve social cohesion within the various ethnic groups. The 'artifacts' of this era that still continue to shape the social fabric of modern Malaysian society includes the New Economic Policy (NEP), the National Culture Policy of 1970, the Universities and University Colleges Act (commonly referred to as AUKU), marked the birth of the Ministry of National Unity and the introduction of the Rukun Negara to name a few.
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In the book’s foreword, researcher Diana Wong writes, “given the undeniable historical significance of May 13, the meagre scholarly output is puzzling to say the least. There is no doubt that after the first hastily assembled NOC report, official amnesia, and officially dictated memory suppression helped impose the heavy weight of silence that smothered any further inquiry into the very public display of political violence that had threatened to, and perhaps did, tear the nation apart... The May 13 Incident became the greatest taboo of all.”
During the panel discussion at yesterday's official book launch, Dr Sharifah Munirah Alatas said, “what I think has happened over the last 50 years is a conflation of two myths that keeps alive this idea that we shouldn’t talk about May 13.
"The two myths in my thinking are if the Malays are unhappy, there will be riots. Therefore, it is justified to keep these political structures – the NEP, affirmative action, quotas in place.
"The second myth is that there can never be peace and harmony in a multiracial and multiethnic society. These two myths have been perpetuated over the last 50 years as a means for political control.”
She added that there are numerous lessons that could be learnt from the book. “The common thread running through each and every one of the stories is that politicians stoked the situation. It is not a rakyat problem, it is a political problem,” she remarked.
Many survivors of the May 13 Incident were also present at the launch and described the trauma of having to live through it or inheriting the fear of the period from their elders.
A common question that was raised by the audience is why the need to keep talking about this to which Hong comments that “as Malaysians, we have grown up listening to so many things about May 13 yet not knowing what it is actually about.”
“Whatever we have read about May 13 is from the media and newspapers; you have politicians threatening us that if there is a change in government, then something as bad as May 13 will happen again. That cycle repeats itself. Until today, we know very little about what exactly happened.”
She hopes this book opens more conversations about this dark chapter of our history, and eventually offers closure for many of its survivors.
As Sharon Chin, the visual artist who designed the book cover surmised during the forum, “we have become custodians of these stories” and therefore the responsibility now lies with us to understand our past. – The Vibes, January 8, 2023
‘Life After: Oral Histories of the May 13 Incident’ is available for purchase online or at select bookstores nationwide.
