Monday 20 August 2012

Bury the Ghost of May 13, 1969? With UMNO- I don't think so !

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"Pride is an established conviction of 
one's own paramount worth in some particular respect, 
while vanity is the desire of rousing such a conviction in others, 
and it is generally accompanied by the secret hope of ultimately 
coming to the same conviction oneself."
~Arthur Schopenhauer

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May 13, 1969 - it was either too far back in my memory or there was nothing significant happening in Port Dickson back then for me to remember anything (most likely the latter).
It is an event repeatedly resurrected by our UMNO/BN hoods to scare the people into submission to "gods" which walk the corridors of power, and consequently handing them power on a silver platter.
Yes- there was no other purpose for the dastardly events of May 13, (which incidentally UMNO holds as their crowning glory) other that FEAR.

While the people are willing to stop looking under their beds for ghosts which may lurk there- UMNO would not relent ... and so, they resurrect it again and again. They want it- they need it. 
Now that all PERKASA's sabre-rattling isn't working (and the people have pretty much gotten over it), they have to do something to imprint in deeper into their psyche- so this time they engage the pathetic FINAS to come up which something on the silver screen to servfe their purpose.
Just like any other political game- they will play their "Good cop, Bad cop" game; and that's where Mazlan- son of the famed Father (Dato' Harun- apparently a "central figure" in the event) comes into the picture.


"Umno veteran Datuk Mazlan Harun wants the public 

to lay to rest the ghost of a 1969 racial bloodbath 

— that could threaten the country's unity 
in the run-up to national polls due next year.
The son of the then Selangor mentri besar,
 opened up to The Malaysian Insider in an exclusive interview last week 
over reports of an incident at his father's home ......"


I don't know Dato' Harun personally, although I did treat him once during his illness in his winter years- and he seemed like a pretty cool guy. I'm serious. However, "reading between the lines" and listening to the "unofficial versions" of May 13, gives a different picture of him- and UMNO.
So, despite all UMNO's propaganda that May 13 was a "racial" thingie, I'm inclined to believe that it was just the "politics of the capitalist sociopaths". (Whatever mask, beard, robe or skullcap they wear- most ruthless politicians are "capitalist sociopaths" anyway). 
Through and through, it was purely about power and money- whitewashed with "affirmative action" of racial privileges/supremacy, which ultimately manifested itself through 40yrs of the brain-numbing, racially divisive, apartheid policies of the NEP (New Economic Piracy). All these policies of course, came into full bloom in the era of the other central figure of May 13- none other than our beloved Proton Car Toon, Mr. Madey.

Be that as it may- not only are Malaysians willing to put it behind them and move forward, I believe that Malaysians are also willing to forgive the perpetrators of that massacre, for the sake of the future generations. So, just as Mazlan says, we all want to bury May 13 as well. 
However, I also believe that it cannot be buried in a shallow grave of lies and propaganda.
Not now, not ever.

The only way to "bury" May 13, 1969- is to declassify all documents, and have a truth & reconciliation commission. If the brutal Apartheid regime of South Africa can do for their decades of abuse- so can UMNO, for one incident.
There is no need to punish those (alive or dead) who were responsible & are willing to admit their faults- for the truth is of greater value for the nation.

Sweeping it under the carpet thru spin, silence or gag orders will only let it fester in the hearts and  minds of the young ones thru stories, lies, myths and speculation- which is what UMNO wants, so that it can hold the nation at ransom (aka blackmail).

Anyways- even if UMNO insists on playing the same old tired game of fear, I'm pretty much convinced that they wouldn't want it to happen themselves (after all, it is they who stand to lose the most with the collapse of the economy).
Moreover- I seriously doubt that my Malay brothers buy their hogwash and believe that it is the non-Malays who have (or will rob them of their money/dignity).

They too know who's playing the wayang/silat.....

NOTE:
Although it was Gerakan which had officially apologized for the conduct of their party members (Al-Mukmin, Hatta (2005). "Keranamu UMNO", p. 104. Abadi Publishing House) during the party rally, it is not known why UMNO buries this fact- and pins the blame squarely on DAP.
Here is an entry from Wikipedia:-

Incidents of violence continued to occur in the weeks after 13 May, with the targets now being not only Malay or Chinese but also Indian. It is argued that this showed that "the struggle has become more clearly than ever the Malay extremists' fight for total hegemony."[8]
According to police figures, 196 people died[9] and 149 were wounded. 753 cases of arson were logged and 211 vehicles were destroyed or severely damaged. Various other casualty figures have been given, with one thesis from a UC Berkeley academic, as well as Time, putting the total dead at ten times the government figure.[8][10]


 

3 comments:

  1. UMNO really desperate to get the Malay support for the next GE13.They know Malay vote was split between UMNO and PAS.
    When UMNO lost 2/3 majority in parliment in 1969 election,they need to strenghten thier power,they manage to convince PAS to join BN.They give PAS cabinet minister but when they felt they have gain the strengt after a few year,in 1974 they kick PAS out from BN and replace it with Berjaya party.

    PAS lost Kelantan state to Berjaya and it took PAS almost 20 year s to get back Kelantan with the help of Tengku Razaligh.


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  2. Now UMNO feel they are weak again and desperately need PAS to strenghten their power.They use Nasaruddin and Hasan Ali to bring back PAS into coolation.In 1969 Nasaruddin was only five year old.He doesnt understand the feeling of NIK AziZ who was stab at the back by UMNO in 1974.Nik Aziz told Najib read the history book what UMNO did to PAS in 1974.

    I was supise Tun Mahathir try to do his part to bring PAS back to BN.he was there in 1974 when they kick PAS out.What a shame.Then even use Sultan Mirzan to convince Hj Hadi.

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  3. From what I gather, it wasn't just PAS which was "convinced" by UMNO to join BN- I think Gerakan was part of the game UMMO played on the opposition parties thru their "gunboat diplomacy".
    The only difference is- Gerakan was too deep inside, got riches it never imagined, didn't have the guts to make their stand and was no threat to UMNO's stature as a Malay party.

    ReplyDelete

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