Monday May 14, 2007

Another look at incident on May 13

KUALA LUMPUR: Activist Dr Kua Kia Soong has given a different perspective to the May 13 incident in his book May 13: Declassified Documents on the Malaysian Riots of 1969.

He had based on newly declassified documents including foreign dispatches and confidential reports at the time, which are now made available in the Public Records Office in London. The book on the 1969 riots also addresses the need to put an end to racial disturbances.

At a forum after the book launch, Kua urged the Government to appoint a Royal Commission on May 13 to find out why the race riots took place.

“Such a commission will carry out interviews and publish the findings so that an incident like May 13 would not take place (again) and the right steps be taken to foster unity,” said Kua, a former National University of Singapore lecturer and Petaling Jaya MP from 1990 to 1995.

The book, published by Suaram, traces the 1969 general election, foreign correspondents' stories and reports by diplomats.

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