Understanding May 13
Many would have read the "Correct View" series on the May 13 incident presented by Jebat Must Die (JMD) http://tinyurl.com/okr4dc . I sought to engage JMD in a rational dialogue to see if we could find convergence in our understanding. Our dialogue is appended below, unedited. Since JMD's blog is in the public domain, I believe no rules of ethics are being broken in my sharing our dialogue with MT. Readers are left to draw their own conclusions.
By SV Singam
Singam on May 16, 2009 at 10:46 am
JMD,
I assume that you are sincere about wanting to set the record straight on the real causes of May 13. I agree that it is important to cite credible references to establish a point.
What I am disappointed about is that you cite the NOC report as a credible reference. If the people running the NOC are suspected of being the very ones who plotted and executed the May 13 riots, would you seriously expect them to tell the truth in their report? If you are indeed seeking the truth, would you use that report as a reference?
I am sure the Tengku knew the real truth. But, knowing the prevailing political situation, would he publish that truth? So could his book be any better as a credible reference?
Those who seek to find out what really happened need to set aside their prejudices and track down any and every possible source without dismissing it at the outset – basic rule of brainstorming or researching. After all, isn’t Islam about seeking out the Truth?
I agree that Kua Kia Song had an agenda when he wrote his book. In that, he went to the opposite end as the NOC report. What have you done that is any different or has added any value to our understanding of those sad events?
K Das has no vested interest in our nation. Though a journalist, he gained nothing out of learning the secrets that the Tengku did not want buried with him. In the absence of other compelling evidence, I lean towards believing what K Das told Antares.
That purported truth does not at all implicate the Malay people, who were victims just like the Chinese and the Indian people. The finger points at UMNO leaders. Based on what they are doing in Perak today, I am inclined to believe K Das.
I hope the acrimony that still permeates this and other spaces will slowly dissolve. But that will not happen so long as people continue to stoke up passions.
Can 1Malaysia happen? What does that even mean?
Singam
Anak Bangsa Malaysia
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JMD : I am sure you’d know by now that the NOC report is also being used by Kua Kia Soong as point of reference. If he could use the book to strengthen parts of his hypothesis (and people believe every word of it), why can’t I use the same official report of the NOC? Plus, I do think that you have not read the NOC yourselves. It was not prepared by the so called ‘plotters’. Read the report and you will know that it was prepared by the whole collective of people in the council. People keep on citing Tunku’s word as the ultimate truth that tarnished Tun Razak’s image. In the next installment we will dissect this isse. Mind you I will be using Tunku’s own book published in the 80’s. Long after the ‘prevailing political situation’ could affect his judgment in telling the story. If said you agree that Kua Kia Soong had his own agenda. Can we safely say now that his agenda is damaging for the country’s unity? Or do you still want to believe that there was no provocation from the ‘peaceful and non racist’ opposition supporters back then.
If you think foreign journalist has no vested interest, then I am sorry to say, you are probably quite gullible. What more, you did not even know what was the interview is all about. Have you read the whole transcript yourself, or did you just made the conclusion about read from hearing a few racist friends over teh tarik?
Plus, what was the purported truth that made the Malays a victim just like the chinese and indians? What were the events and the correlating proofs that made you said that? I am eager to know your thoughts.
Please wait for the final part of the article. You might enjoy it. Thank you.
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Singam on May 18, 2009 at 9:48 am
Thank you for keeping this discussion cordial and constructive. Allow me to first address the points you raised.
We have already established that Dr Kua’s book is not a balanced perspective. Therefore his use of the NOC report should not necessarily lend credibility to the report. In any case, it is possible for Dr Kua to cherry-pick salient event references from the NOC report and still arrive at a different conclusion.
I am sure you are not so naïve as to believe that the Head of the NOC had no part to play in the slant of the report. A report can be filled with selected facts and arrive at a conclusion that is desired by the people who commissioned the report. Let us not pretend otherwise.
The sensitive socio-political climate still prevails, as the BN press is fond of frequently reminding Malaysians, so the Tengku’s book was not published “long after” the prevailing conditions.
I can’t claim to know Dr Kua’s intention but I can tell you this – his book has awoken many Malaysians to the possibility that there could be an alternate truth than what we have been fed all these decades. If the search for truth brings disunity, then we have a lot of growing up to do.
I am not so naïve as to believe that journalists, foreign and local have no vested interests. I have had personal encounter with such. But I know one thing – professional journalists are scrupulously careful about accuracy of facts. How they position those facts and slant their articles is another matter altogether. Moreover, as I stated clearly, what the Tengku is purported to have said to K Das which Das is reported to have repeated to Antares was unpublished and never meant for publication. As such, I am prepared to believe that there was no malicious intent.
I have never denied that the victory celebrations of the opposition parties were provocative. I was witness to the parades and arrived at that conclusion a long time ago. I was fortunate not to personally witness any of the carnage but I did receive enough first-hand reports of incidents to realise that the NOC report and subsequent statements by government leaders did not tell all. However, I accepted the omissions with the belief that it was necessary to maintain peace and order.
But if there is another truth that has been hidden from Malaysians all along, it is important to face this truth and deal with it. Otherwise, we can never move forward. For me, the key question raised by Dr Kua’s book was this…
“Did the Tengku deny permission for the opposition party victory parade and was the permission subsequently granted behind his back?”
UMNO leaders have never been blind to socio-political realities. Razak and the others would have been well aware that, given the volatile pre-elections disturbances, a victory parade by the opposition would surely lead to trouble. If they knowingly and deliberately allowed the parades, then they are directly responsible for the carnage, for the loss of every one of those lives, Malay and non-Malay!
One of the myths of the 1969 elections was that a non-Malay opposition had made major inroads into Malay political dominance. In fact, both DAP and Gerakan were multi-racial parties with Malay membership and, even back then, they had won the support of a significant number of urban Malays. UMNO had to do damage control and recapture the support of all Malays.
We can see even today the lengths to which UMNO will go to grab or maintain political power. We know of the number of times Malaysians have been threatened with a repeat of May 13 if the BN was not returned to power. I find it entirely credible that the original May 13 riots were in fact engineered by UMNO for the purpose of political dominance.
JMD, if you are representing the Malay people and desire, like I do, to find out what really happened back then, then we can continue a fruitful dialogue. However, if you represent UMNO and wish to protect the version of the truth spun by UMNO, then it is better that we agree to disagree and go our separate ways.
Many thanks for allowing me to be a guest in your blog.
Singam
Anak Bangsa Malaysia
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JMD : Thank you for the comment. The articles I presented had answered your points above. What gave you the idea that I am representing Umno? I wrote this based on history. If you find it disgusting that history suddenly is beneficial to Umno’as cause, then I am sorry to hear that. Sometimes, the truth hurts. Especially when we are too prejudicial to the government. Even when you tried to be impartial in commenting about KKS’ book, you certainly did not dismiss the contents at all. This is because, you are still insisting that it was Tun Razak who masterminded the riots. Plus, you erred in your assessment when you said Gerakan and DAP were multiracial at that time. From the antics of the leaders and supporters of both parties before and after the general elections of 1969, they were all racists. Please read the third and the fourth part of the series please.
The blog which people had kept on referring to was this blog called magic river. I believe the final part of this article had debunk it. Moreover, that particular blog did not even reveal any evidence to strengthen its claims. It run on generalities devoid of any specific facts.
Plus please know that K.Das published a book called The Tunku Tapes. It was edited by Kua Kia Soong himself and published by SIRD – a company run by Kua Kia Soong. That is as impartial it can get. Thank you.
