May 13: Let's avoid sensitives issues, say former Perkasa leader

Prof. Datin Paduka Datuk Dr. Ramlah Adam said these are among the lessons to be learnt from the bloody riots in 1969 which resulted in the death of many, both Malays and Chinese.

"Avoid sensitive issues that would cause friction between races, " the Pusat Kajian Institusi Raja Malaysia director told Astro AWANI yesterday.

“Since the 1970s, we have had relative peace, aside from smaller incidents like Kampung Medan which we managed to overcome.

“We don’t want statements from NGOs or the media that say things like the Chinese immigration was a mistake. These things have happened, it was ordained. They have already become citizens, don’t bring up negativity,” said Ramlah.

Ramlah was referring to the recent controversial statements by Muslim NGO Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (ISMA), in particular, saying that the Chinese migrants brought in by the British to Tanah Melayu were "trespassers".

The comments by ISMA president Abdullah Zaik Abd Rahman to question the citizenship and wealth of the Chinese had triggered a police investigation under the Sedition Act.

Ramlah said that the situation in 1969 had a different context, but in the same ‘manner extreme voices’ should not be tolerated.

“When I was schooling in Melaka, times were tough, I walked to school. But things were very basic and we don’t have ideologies like liberalism and people shouting their ideas freely.

“I think May 13 is a lesson about something bad that happened, the fighting between two largest races in Malaysia, it is not good for the country. Today, Malaysians are not fighting. Those who fight are the politicians, media, those NGOs.

Ramlah said that it was a responsibility of all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or culture to support peace and reject extremism.