May 13: Declassified Documents on the Malaysian Riots of 1969
Encyclopedia
May 13: Declassified Documents on the Malaysian Riots of 1969 is a book published in 2007 and written by activist and scholar Dr. Kua Kia Soong on the May 13 Incident
of 1969. It was published by the human rights group Suaram
on the 38th anniversary of the worst racial riot in Malaysian history, which took place mostly in Kuala Lumpur
. The official death toll was 196, but independent reporters and other observers estimated up to ten times as many people had died. Three quarters of the casualties were Chinese Malaysians, and 6000 of them were left homeless after fires. As the title suggests, the book is based on declassified documents, which have become available at the Public Records Office at London
.
The book challenges the Malaysian government's official position on the cause of the May 13 Incident. At the time, the government stated the cause was opposition parties' creating tensions after the 1969 elections. In contrast, Kua stated that the "ascendent state capitalist class" in the United Malays National Organisation
(UMNO), the party in power, had intentionally started the riot as a coup d'etat
to topple the Tunku, traditional Malay Rulers, from power.
Due to the book's charges, numerous politicians called for it to be banned. The Internal Security Ministry seized 10 copies from a major bookstore in Kuala Lumpur
several days after the release of the book. Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi later indicated that the government did not plan to ban the book.
May 13 Incident
The 13 May Incident is a term for the Sino-Malay sectarian violences in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia, which began on 13 May 1969...
of 1969. It was published by the human rights group Suaram
Suaram
SUARAM, or Suara Rakyat Malaysia, is a human rights organization in Malaysia created in 1987 after Operation Lalang, when 106 opposition, unions, activist leaders were detained without trial under the Internal Security Act...
on the 38th anniversary of the worst racial riot in Malaysian history, which took place mostly in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
. The official death toll was 196, but independent reporters and other observers estimated up to ten times as many people had died. Three quarters of the casualties were Chinese Malaysians, and 6000 of them were left homeless after fires. As the title suggests, the book is based on declassified documents, which have become available at the Public Records Office at London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
The book challenges the Malaysian government's official position on the cause of the May 13 Incident. At the time, the government stated the cause was opposition parties' creating tensions after the 1969 elections. In contrast, Kua stated that the "ascendent state capitalist class" in the United Malays National Organisation
United Malays National Organisation
The United Malays National Organisation, is Malaysia's largest political party; a founding member of the National Front coalition, which has played a dominant role in Malaysian politics since independence....
(UMNO), the party in power, had intentionally started the riot as a coup d'etat
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
to topple the Tunku, traditional Malay Rulers, from power.
Due to the book's charges, numerous politicians called for it to be banned. The Internal Security Ministry seized 10 copies from a major bookstore in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
several days after the release of the book. Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi later indicated that the government did not plan to ban the book.