Thursday 11 November 2010

After 41 years we should be able to rationally talk and discuss about the 13 May 1969 tragedy

Updated Post:


Read here for Utusan's Zaini Hassan excellent article on the 13 May tragedy:

13 Mei dan 21 Julai: Fakta sejarah, mengapa perlu takut?



Original Post:


On 1st November 2010, Pulau Pinang State Opposition Leader Datuk Azhar was unjustly suspended for six months by the DAP dominated State Assembly apparently for refusing to retract alleged "seditious" remarks during a May 16 assembly. Datuk Azhar was accused of using the seditious words and issuing "May 13" threats during CM Guan Eng speech to the Assembly.


Report on the suspension in the DUN Pulau Pinang (Utusan Malaysia):


Keputusan itu dibuat pada Mesyuarat Kedua Penggal Ketiga DUN Ke-12 di sini hari ini selepas usul tersebut dibentangkan Ketua Menteri, Lim Guan Eng dan disokong Timbalan Ketua Menteri, Datuk Mansor Othman.


Usul menggantung Azhar yang juga Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Penaga dibuat oleh Jawatankuasa Hak dan Kebebasan DUN Pulau Pinang dan diluluskan selepas menerima suara majoriti.


Sejurus usul tersebut diumumkan Speaker DUN, Datuk Abdul Halim Hussain, Azhar bangun dan meninggalkan Dewan diikuti 11 ADUN Barisan Nasional (BN) yang lain.


Azhar ketika membahaskan usul tersebut menegaskan, beliau tidak akan meminta maaf atau menarik balik perkara itu kerana beliau tidak bersalah dan memberi enam sebab enggan berbuat demikian.


“Usul itu cacat kerana ia tidak pernah dibahaskan, perkataan yang dirujuk telah ditarik balik dan diterima oleh Dewan dan ia juga tidak jelas mengenai siapa yang hendak didakwa sebagai melakukan kesalahan.


“Usul tersebut juga tidak terdapat dakwaan yang spesifik dan jelas yang menunjukkan kesalahan dilakukan, usul yang dibawa adalah di luar sesi pagi dan selepas Dewan berehat dan ia satu tindakan after thought,” tegasnya.


Jawatankuasa yang dipengerusikan Abdul Halim mengadakan mesyuarat berhubung perkara tersebut sebanyak tiga kali iaitu pada 7 Jun, 3 serta 17 Ogos dan Azhar hadir memberi keterangan pada mesyuarat terakhir.


Azhar yang juga Setiausaha Badan Perhubungan UMNO negeri dirujuk ke jawatankuasa itu kerana didakwa melanggar peraturan berikutan mengeluarkan kata-kata berbaur hasutan ketika hari terakhir sidang DUN 6 Mei lalu.


Beliau dikatakan menggunakan perkataan ‘13 Mei’ ketika berlaku pertikaman lidah dengan Ketua Menteri, Lim Guan Eng pada sesi penggulungan Usul Terima Kasih Ucapan Yang Dipertua Negeri, Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas.


Usul menghadapkan beliau ke jawatankuasa itu sebelum ini telah dicadangkan oleh Jagdeep Singh Deo (DAP-Datuk Keramat).


Sementara itu, pada sidang akhbarnya di luar Dewan, Azhar berkata, penggantungan tersebut tidak betul dan yang pasti beliau ‘sakit hati’ dengan keputusan berkenaan sambil menyifatkan corak pentadbiran kerajaan negeri bersifat ‘ala Guan Eng’.


“Saya Ketua Pembangkang yang paling vokal dan selalu mengkritik pemerintahan mereka dan kes seumpama ini juga yang pertama kali berlaku dalam sejarah Pulau Pinang,” ujarnya.


Ditanya mengapa beliau enggan memohon maaf walaupun berkali-kali diminta berbuat demikian, jelasnya:


“Untuk apa saya minta maaf, saya tidak bersalah, saya teraniaya dan ini cara mereka untuk tutup mulut saya,” katanya.


read in full here.


The million dollar question is why the Chauvinist DAP is in such fear of "May 13" that even the very word could spook them so. Why are they in perpetual denial 41 years after the darkest day in our independent history? The tragic event happened because we as a nation momentarily forgot that we are tolerant and accepting of each other. It is recorded history that cannot be denied, people provoke and insult, people kill and people died and property destroyed, yes, because we lost control of ourselves at that time and racism, bigotry and insanity prevailed.


Do not read the cherry picking rubbish on May13 incident written by Kua Kia Soong, a book that should have been banned, read this excellent article by jebatmustdie who debunked the thrash written by Kua, here..The 13th May Racial Riots, The True and Fair View. Also read the National Operation Council(NOC) Report on the 13th May Tragedy here.


The Pakatan led by the DAP again created a ruckus when Utusan Malaysia Columnist Zaini Hassan wrote an article on 13Mei and his criticism of the DAP Pulau Pinang Government, excerpts here. Which of course brought about a rabid May13phobic leaden reaction from the DAP and its PKR and PAS subordinates read here and here.


I think after 41 years of the 13 May 1969 incident we should be able now to talk and discuss openly and rationally about why it happened and what we should do as a nation to prevent a recurrence which our blessed nation could ill afford. Attempts by the minority in the DAP and others to muzzle and railroad anyone who wishes to remind Malaysians of the May 13 incident should and must be discouraged. No body is on trial here!


While our politicians in power has a penchant to sweep sensitive things on race under the carpet and they were somewhat  successful in the last 41 years, but in this internet age where information is downloaded and read almost instantaneously, such actions are now outdated, we must engage and inform and discuss so that the young will understand why May 13 happened and why policies are initiated to ensure that racial harmony are preserved for the future and is indeed working as we speak.


Certainly I will not call May 13 a "Hari Keramat" it should however be remembered and lessons to be learnt, I hope the new Sejarah syllabus which require a compulsory pass in the SPM will put extra attention to the events that lead to the incident and the aftermath and the policy which was designed and put in place by the wise people from the National Operations Council(NOC) or Majlis Gerakan Negara (Mageran) to ensure that there will be no repeat of the May 13 Tragedy.


Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

Those who do not remember their past are condemned to repeat their mistakes.

Those who do not read history are doomed to repeat it.

Those who fail to learn from the mistakes of their predecessors are destined to repeat them.

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