Dewa rocks crowd at KL Tower

It was pandemonium at KL Tower in the heart of the capital last Saturday when more than 6,000 fans crammed into the crowd space right underneath the tower to watch Indonesia’s Dewa live in concert. I thought my Mrs and myself could be the oldest couple in the crowd. Good to see that we have a few other senior fans as well.
Without contest, Dewa is the greatest rock group to come out of Indonesia in the last decade. Those million-selling albums Bintang Lima in 2000 and Cintailah Cinta in 2002 tell only half the tale of this enigmatic band – renowned for trailblazing music, outspoken politics and the occasional brush with controversy. In Malaysia, Dewa’s adulating devotees (or baladewa, the band’s official term of endearmenr for its fans) have come to rival any in the region, with the popularity and impact of their most recent albums winning over lifelong Malaysian fans.

Dhani, the band’s founder, cemented his reputation of being Dewa’s creative catalyst and ringleader in concert as he alternated between singing lead vocals, enthralling the audience on his favoured keyboards and keeping time on the acoustic guitar. Along with Once and mysterious lead guitarist Andra Ramadhan (who was Dewa’s Joe Perry to Once’s Steven Tyler onstage), it was this triumvirate that kept the crowd transfixed throughout Saturday’s show. Anchored by bass player Yuke and drummer Tyo Nugros, the robust Dewa showed why it was a band synonymous with sold-out concerts. One thing to note: The venue sucks... how could you put thousands of screaming fans on that small piece of shit in front of KL tower, and the stage is too damn low. Pity those cewek pendek who can't see the band.

Roman Picisan; Bintang
Lima ;
Ciptaan :Dhani

Tatap matamu bagai busur panah
Yang kau lepaskan ke jantung hatiku
Meski kau simpan cintamu masih
Tetap nafasku wangi hiasi suasana
Saat kau kecup manis bibirmu

Cintaku tak harus,miliki dirimu
Meski perih mengiris-iris segala janji
Aku berdansa diujung gelisah
Di iringi syahdu lembut lakumu
Kau sebar benih anggun jiwamu
Namun kau tiada...menuai buah cintaku
Yang ada hanya sekuntum rindu

If They Would Only Stop Putting Those Ugly Ties On

Somehow I always like this article. I guess it represent the views of most adult who sees someone wearing that ugly maroon tie. As for me, I used to wear it without fail every wednesday during those days when I frequently go up and down MINDEF ( Ministry of Defence). Just to rub it on those OP (Old Putra) blokes. At least I get to know a few of them when we were stuck in the lift. Its something to start a conversation. Well the OP and the friends of this Jockstrap guys are not all bad. We do get along well, at the end of the day I believe our aim is similar......

If They Would Only Stop Putting Those Ugly Ties On [STAR86 Online]by Jockstrap Giles

It is a bit sad that these old MC sods have the weekly need to wrap a piece of striped rag around their greasy necks just to tell the world that they all spent their pathetic pubescent years in one same place. We would naturally then be compelled to presume that their lives have been shamefully reduced to such ugly ties, which incidentally went outdated the last time a Hanoverian sat on the Throne.

Funny thing is, without those moth-eatened ties around their dirt-stained necks, they can be ironically tolerable. When I took those momentous steps down the matrimonial aisles, my Best Man was an old MC type. And I was even called upon to be the best man for two of their kind. My regular Friday Prayer / Lunch Chum is also one; and depending on circumstances, we are sometimes joined by another one or two (along with some Old Grand STARians). Then there is this kilogramme-endowed mass of a bloke with whom I share the passion for intellectual wit and during my bachelor days of yore, very non-intellectual audio-visual materials.

Perhaps some twist of Fate dictated that the food and quasi-drinking water which were forced down our throats in Ipoh and KK actually came from the same source -therefore some of them get along well with some of us. Just as long as we don't bump into them on one of their Ugly Tie Days. I'm certain that even if G. Versace had the chance, his fashion instinct would have told him not to go to MC. Then again, his hormonal instinct most probably would!

But just imagine, if only those tie straps were spaced out a bit, and alternated with rows of majestic badges, they would be quite a classic.

Gina Lazenby

yes I used to work for her, finishing her accounts and taxes sometime back in 1993-94 back then her office was in Central London. I met Mr Anthony Robbins through her, he was one of her good friend. She was one of the first few mat salleh into Feng Shui and now she is the founder of the Feng Shui Society.

Gina Lazenby is an award winning business woman who following many years of success running her own marketing consultancy embarked upon a decade-long search for the lifestyle and habits that would support positive health. As well as writing The Healthy Home she is the author of The Feng Shui House Book and Simple Feng Shui .

"May 13 - Before and After"

"May 13 - Before and After"Excerpts of this book by (the late) Tunku Abdul Rahman, then Prime Minister of malaysia, published in September 1969

"Victory" on the rampage
No one was more surprised, I am sure, than the DAP and the newly-formed Gerakan with their unexpected successes. They felt not only cocky, but downright arrogant. They lost no time in arranging to celebrate their "victories." Dr. Tan Chee Khoon, who won his seat in Batu Selangor, with a big majority asked for Police permission to hold a procession by members of his Gerakan Party. A permit was granted on condition that it followed a route authorised by the Police. (On 12th May) Dr. Tan's victory procession was held on an unprecedented scale, politically speaking, and was accompanied by acts of rowdyism and hooliganism and in utter defiance of the Police after the main procession had ended.The procession went through unauthorised routes, jamming traffic everywhere as a consequence. With victory emotions on the loose and - there can be no other explanation - Communists urging them on, the victors made a serious blunder, and blunder it was. The procession shouting its way along turned into Jalan Campbell and Jalan Hale - roads on the edge of an leading into Kampong Bahru where 30,000 Malays have lived in peace for years beneath the palms in their own settlement in the centre of Kuala Lumpur.

Jalan Hale is the main street of Kampong Bahru. There they proceeded to provoke the Malays, gibing at them and throwing their victory in their faces in the midst of what is virtually an UMNO stronghold.On Tuesday, May 13th Gerakan Party's Yeoh Tech Chye, the President of the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (who won big in Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur) made an open apology in the press for his party supporters having caused such inconvenience to the public. But the emotional damage had already been done.

I (Tunku) returned to Kuala Lumpur about lunchtime from Alor Star. My Principal Private Secretary informed me that he had received news that a counter demonstration was to be held on May 13th as the Malays were very annoyed.UMNO was going to stage a procession to celebrate it's victory and that a crowd would gather in the compound of the house of the Menteri Besar of Selangor, Dato Harun bin Idris, in Jalan Raja Muda and that the procession would start from there. I was personally worried that the procession might lead to trouble. It was not easy to stop it at this stage as the Opposition had already held processions, and permission had already been obtained for UMNO to have theirs.

May 13th
..…A phone call came through at 6.45pm that an ugly incident had taken place along Jalan Raja Muda in which some Chinese were assaulted. Immediately afterwards Enche Mansor, the Kuala Lumpur Police Traffic Chief, and one or two others, came to see me and said that there had been killing. The city had been placed under immediate curfew as at 7 pm.The Security Forces were out, the army called in. Naturally I could not sleep that night, my mind upset with the tragedy that had overtaken our peaceful capital and nation. I went out side my balcony outside my room looking down on the city in the valley by night. Flames were burning high in several areas, near Kampong Bharu and to the North. Kuala Lumpur was a city on fire and it was a sight that I never thought I would see in my lifetime.

While they were gathered in the compound of Dato Harun's residence news came through suddenly that Chinese had attacked Malays in Setapak, a mile or two to the North, as they were on their way to join the procession starting from Jalan Raja Muda. The news created a storm of indignation; hell broke loose. Two Chinese passing by on motor cycles were attacked and killed. And so the riots of May 13th began, triggering off violence unprecedented in the history of Malaysa. (A state of emergency was declared on May 16th and a National Operations Council set up to deal with all matters pertaining to it. The first act: round-the-clock curfew.)..Within 48 hours it was possible for the Council to approve relaxation in the curfew in many areas of the country. Even in the most sensitive ares, Kampong Bharu and the Jalan Chow Kit sections of Kuala Lumpur, where the violence had originated, it was possible after one week from the outbreak to announce curfew relaxations there.

There was no insecurity in the East Coast states. In Johore and Negri Sembilan no incidents had occurred at any time. In Malacca there had been a few minor troubles and they had now ceased as quickly as they had started. There were no incidents taking place in Perak and Penang, Kedah and Perlis.Apart from Kuala Lumpur, the only sections in the country needing the strictest vigilance were in the Betong salient, the rural areas along the Kedah and Perak borders with Thailand. The general situation, however, was far from normal, mainly for one particular reason - rumours. During the height of the disturbances rumour-mongering was wild and widespread as always happen anywhere in time of riot.

http://www.littlespeck.com/ThePast/CPast-My-tunku-030513.htm

Mei 13, 1969

Tidak banyak cerita yang dapat diperolehi mengenai peristiwa 13 Mei ini. Secara peribadi saya percaya sejarah ini patut di pelajari oleh pelajar-pelajar sekarang supaya kita lebih memahami sejarah negara kita sendiri. Mungkin lebih baik jika perkara mengenai 13 Mei ini datang dari sumber yang boleh dikawal dibandingkan dengan sumber lain yang mungkin boleh memporak-perandakan keadaan. Keadaan hubungan kaum yang hanya nampak tenang di permukaan mungkin boleh direnggangkan kalau kita dapat mengkaji dan mengingati semula sejarah peristiwa ini. Berikut adalah informasi dari web site Polis Di Raja MAlaysia dan Wikipedia.

Foto:Anggota Pasukan Simpanan Persekutuan sedang mengawal rusuhan di stadium Jalan Raja Muda

Kenapa berlakunya peristiwa 13 Mei?
Tunku Abd. Rahman telah menyalahkan komunis dan anasir-anasir kongsi gelap lain yang dikatakan bertanggungjawab berlakunya peristiwa tersebut. Bagaimanapun, Tun Dr. Ismail Menteri Dalam Negeri ketika itu mengatakan bahawa demokrasi telah mati di negara ini. Demokrasi mati di tangan parti-parti politik pembangkang yang telah mendorongkan meletusnya keganasan ini. Laporan Majlis Keselamatan Negara (9 Okt. 1969) berpendapat bahawa peristiwa ini terjadi akibat peranan yang di mainkan oleh Parti Komunis Malaya dan kongsi-kongsi gelap Cina di samping beberapa faktor yang lain. Walau apa pun sebabnya peristiwa 13 Mei merupakan satu krisis perkauman yang terbesar di negara ini, yang melibatkan tiga kaum terbesar iaitu Melayu, Cina dan India. Pertelingkahan itu memakan korban yang besar iaitu seramai 196 orang mati, dan 149 orang cedera.
Isu Perkauman Dalam Pilihan raya 1969
Isu-isu perkauman yang menyentuh emosi perkauman dalam dan sentimen menjadi tema utama sepanjang kempen pilihanraya yang telah menaikkan semangat kaum-kaum di Malaysia. Semasa kempen Pilihan Raya 1969, calon-calon pilihan raya serta ahli-ahli politik terutamanya daripada parti pembangkang, telah membangkitkan soal-soal sensitif berkaitan dengan Bahasa Kebangsaan (Bahasa Melayu), kedudukan istimewa orang Melayu (Bumiputera) dan hak kerakyatan orang bukan Melayu. Hal ini telah menimbulkan perasaan perkauman dan syak wasangka. Parti Perikatan (UMNO-MCA-MIC) telah mengalami kekalahan yang teruk dalam Pilihan Raya 1969. Jumlah kerusi yang dimenanginya dalam Dewan Rakyat (Parlimen) telah menurun daripada 89 kerusi pada tahun 1964 kepada 66 kerusi pada tahun 1969. Parti Perikatan telah hilang majoriti dua-pertiga dalam Dewan Rakyat. Parti Gerakan, DAP dan PPP menang 25 buah kerusi dalam Dewan Rakyat manakala PAS menang 12 kerusi. Sebab terjadinya Peristiwa 13 Mei 1969 adalah perarakan kemenangan pihak pembangkang. Penyokong-penyokong Parti Gerakan dan DAP telah mengutuk dan menghina orang-orang Melayu semasa mengadakan perarakan di jalan-jalan raya di sekitar Kuala Lumpur.

Foto:Anggota Pasukan Simpanan Persekutuan sewaktu peristiwa 13 Mei 1969

Pembangkang meraikan kemenangan
Peristiwa ini berlaku berikutan pengumuman keputusan Pilihanraya Umum pada 10 Mei 1969.
Dr. Tan Chee Khoon dari parti Gerakan telah menang besar di kawasan Batu , Selangor. Perarakan hingga ke Jalan Campbell dan Halan Hale dan menuju ke Kampung Baharu. Sedangkan di Kampung Baru, diduduki lebih 30,000 orang Melayu yang menjadi kubu UMNO , berasa terancam dengan kemenangan pihak pembangkang. Di sini letaknya rumah Menteri Besar Selangor ketika itu , Dato' Harun Idris. Dikatakan kaum Cina yang menang telah berarak dengan mengikat penyapu kepada kenderaan mereka sebagai lambang kemenangan mereka menyapu bersih kerusi sambil melaungkan slogan . Ada pula pendapat yang mengatakan penyapu tersebut sebagai lambang mereka akan menyapu ('menyingkir') orang-orang Melayu ke laut. Dalam masyarakat Melayu penyapu mempunyai konotasi yang negatif sial. Ada yang mencaci dan meludah dari atas lori ke arah orang Melayu di tepi-tepi jalan.
Rumah Menteri Besar Selangor
UMNO telah mengadakan perarakan balas pada pagi 13 Mei 1969. Orang Melayu berkumpul di rumah Menteri Besar Selangor di Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz di Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur . Dato' Harun Idris selaku Menteri Besar Selangor ketika itu cuba mententeramkan keadaan . Ketika berkumpul , cerita-cerita tentang kebiadapan ahli parti Gerakan dan DAP tersebar dan meluap-luap. Jam 3.00 petang datang berita kejadian pembunuhan orang Melayu di Setapak , hanya 2 km dari rumah Menteri Besar Selangor. Pemuda-pemuda Cina yang dikatakan dari PKM dan kongsi-kongsi gelap telah bertindak balas. Mereka membunuh orang-orang Melayu di sekitar Kuala Lumpur. Rupa-rupanya orang Cina dan pemuda Cina ini lengkap dengan pelbagai senjata besi , tombak dan lembing berparang di hujung. Rusuhan besar terjadi. Perintah darurat dikeluarkan, semua orang tidak boleh keluar dari rumah. Pasukan polis berkawal di sekitar Kuala Lumpur. Tentera dari Rejimen Renjer lebih awal dikerahkan menjaga keselamatan sekitar Kuala Lumpur.
Regimen Renjer
Pasukan FRU di keluarkan dari Kampung Baru dan askar dari Regimen Renjer ambil alih. Malangnya pasukan ini terdiri dari Melayu, Iban, Cina, India dan lain-lain.Pemuda-pemuda Melayu yang mempertahankan Kampung Baru dan yang lain-lain mengamuk merasakan diri mereka terkepung antara orang Cina dengan askar Regimen Renjer.
Askar Melayu
Akhirnya Regimen Renjer dikeluarkan dan digantikan dengan Askar Melayu. Beberapa bangunan rumah kedai di sekitar Kampung Baru, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman masih terus terbakar. Pentadbiran diambil-alih oleh Askar Melayu.

Foto:Rumah dan kedai hangus dibakar oleh penunjuk perasaan semasa peristiwa 13 Mei

Panggung Odeon
Pemuda-pemuda Cina dari kongsi-kongsi gelap telah bertindak mengepung Panggung Odeon , di Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman , Kuala Lumpur. Beberapa iklan disiarkan di skrin pawagam menyuruh penonton dari kalangan Cina keluar dari panggung. Iklan tersebut dalam bahasa Cina. Penonton Melayu di panggung tersebut ramai yang mati. Khabar angin mengatakan tentera Sabil dari Sungai Manik hendak datang ke Kampung Baru tetapi tersekat. Begitu juga dengan tentera selempang merah dari Muar dan Batu Pahat tersekat dan disekat oleh polis di Balai Polis Kajang dan Cheras.
Ada 4 kiai di sekitar Kampung Baharu mengedarkan air jampi dan tangkal penebat iaitu ilmu kebal . Sesiapa yang memakainya menjadi kebal dan boleh terbang-terbang. Apa yang pasti Askar Melayu sahaja yang telah menyelamatkan orang Melayu di Kampung Baru ketika itu. Namun rusuhan kaum tidak terjadi Kelantan, Terengganu dan Pahang. Di Perak , Kedah , Pulau Pinang serta Perlis tidak ada sebarang pergaduhan. Negeri Johor dan negeri Sembilan juga tidak terjadi apa-apa. Cuma ada sedikit di Melaka. Di Betong ada tembakan oleh PKM.
Angka korban
Angka rasmi menunjukkan 196 mati, 439 cedera, 39 hilang dan 9143 ditahan . 211 kenderaan musnah. Tapi spekulasi mengatakan 700 orang mati terbunuh.
Dimana Tunku
Ketika itu (13 Mei 1969) , Tunku Abdul Rahman baru pulang dari Alor Star meraikan kemenangan beliau di sana . 6.45 petang Encik Mansor selalu Ketua Polis Trafik Kuala Lumpur memaklumkan kejadian pembunuhan kepada Tunku Abdul Rahman . Darurat diisytiharkan pada jam 7.00 malam 13 Mei 1969.

Foto: Kalau tak silap ini foto Ahli Mageran termasuk Tun Hanif Omar (berdiri: 4 dari kiri) dan Dato Sri Abdullah Badawi (berdiri:1 dari kiri)

Mageran
Negara diisytiharkan darurat pada malam 16 Mei 1969 di seluruh negara dan Mageran dibentuk di bawah pentadbiran Tun Abdul Razak . Parlimen dibubarkan. Peristiwa 13 Mei 1969 menyebabkan Tunku Abdul Rahman dipersalahkan oleh orang Melayu dan Malaysia secara keseluruhannya. Berikutan itu Tunku meletakkan jawatan pada tahun 1970. Buku Malay Dilemma oleh Tun Dr Mahathir telah diharamkan. Keadaan akhirnya dapat di kawal dan beberapa keputusan telah diambil bagi mencari jalan penyelesaian termasuklah penubuhan beberapa badan seperti Majlis Perundingan Negara, Dasar Ekonomi Baru dan Rukunegara telah diciptakan. Ternyata langkah Tunku Abdul Rahman penyingkiran Singapura dari Malaysia tidak menyelesaikan masalah perkauman. Peristiwa 13 Mei 1969 merupakan kemuncak kemarahan lama orang Melayu kerana mereka miskin di tanah air mereka sendiri . Tahun 1969 pilihan raya diadakan semula dan memberi kemenangan 2/3 semula kepada kerajaan yang memerintah . Barisan Nasional dibentuk. Beberapa politikus yang dianggap berbahaya telah ditahan melalui Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA) . Persempadanan pilihan raya yang lebih bijaksana dan seimbang telah dilaksanakan. Sistem demokrasi , pilihan raya dan agihan kek ekonomi mendapat tafsiran semula.


Rujukan
Ramlah Adam 'Biografi Politik Tunku abdul Rahman Putra', DBP ,2004
Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra , '13 Mei - Sebelum dan Selepas'
Leon Camber ,' 13 May 1969 : A Historical Survey of Sino- Malay Relation, Heinemann Asia

source:http://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/13_Mei , http://www.rmp.gov.my/rmp03/mei13.htm

The REAL Story of May 13 (Part 3) by Raja Petra

The REAL Story of May 13 (Part 3) This article by Raja Petra was first published in Harakah on 24 September 1999.

The move to push Tunku Abdul Rahman aside had started. They needed something to trigger off some form of resentment against the government. They needed the Malays to rise, and what better platform to exploit than a racial platform?Prior to that, 11 Chinese prisoners were sentenced to death for killing a Malay prison warden in Pudu Jail. This was subsequently turned into a Malay-Chinese issue.The Malays wanted the 11 Chinese punished. The Chinese wanted their death sentence commuted. And demonstrations were held in the Chinese dominated areas around Kuala Lumpur to pressure the government to pardon the 11. In one large demonstration outside Pudu Jail, the riot police had to be called in the break up the demonstration with teargas. That was my first experience with teargas, and I was only 19 then.The government had no choice but to back down, thereby angering the Malays.

In another incident, some Chinese demonstrated in front of the United States Information Service (USIS) office and one demonstrator was shot dead by a panicking Malay policeman -- interpreted as another Malay-Chinese thing.The Chinese wanted a funeral procession but the police would not grant them permission as they knew it would attract a huge crowd and the funeral would be turned into a demonstration instead. Tun Razak, however, told the police to grant them permission and ordered the police off the streets. The resulting "giant" parade built up tensions further.

The May 1969 General Elections were held soon after and the Alliance Party won only 40% of the votes resulting in it losing its two-thirds majority in Parliament. It also lost a couple of states to the opposition plus its two-thirds majority in others.The opposition parties held "victory parades" which turned into a mud-slinging and name-calling session. The Malays were now really angry and decided to hold a victory parade of their own. Dato Harun, the then Chief Minister of Selangor, was given the task of managing this "event".

On May 13, the entire cabinet withdrew to Frazers Hill while the Malays prepared for trouble. People in the top echelon of the government and commerce were tipped off to get out of town or go home early and, by 3.00pm, the city was quite deserted of the elite except for the unknowing rakyat.That same evening, racial riots exploded. Parliament was dissolved, thereby saving the Alliance government that no longer had a majority in Parliament, and power was transferred to Deputy Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak under the National Operations Council (NOC).
The Tunku was now powerless.

Mahathir then increased his attacks on the Tunku using race as his platform. He also called for MCA's expulsion from the Alliance to "punish" the Chinese. Instead, Dr Mahathir was expelled from Umno as the Utusan Malaysia newspaper report of 6 June 1969 reveals:

KUALA LUMPUR 5 June - Some leading members of UMNO's Supreme Council have voiced their support for the decision by MCA leadership to exclude themselves from the Cabinet. Among them are Tan Sri Syed Jaafar Albar, Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad and Syed Nasir bin Ismail.In a meeting with Utusan Malaysia, Tan Sri Syed Jaafar emphasised his disapproval of efforts made to ask MCA to re-enter the Cabinet."I do not agree with the way some Chinese chambers of commerce have stated their confidence and support of Tun Tan Siew Sin and their asking him to reconsider MCA's decision to withdraw from the Cabinet," he said.According to him, the problem now was not the question of confidence towards Tun Tan Siew Sin as the MCA leader, but whether the Chinese supported the present policies of the Alliance."This is the matter that should be considered by these people who are making a big fuss about giving their support to Tun Tan Siew Sin today," he added.

Tan Sri Jaafar Albar also stated that the support given to Tun Tan Siew Sin by the Chinese Chambers of Commerce was not sufficient because support had to come from the majority of the Chinese population.He stated that discussions about MCA's inclusion in the Cabinet should not be confined to the newspapers or to MCA alone because UMNO, as the backbone of the Alliance party, had not decided yet if MCA and MIC should be included in the Cabinet or if the Alliance should remain as it was then.He said: "It is not only the duty of MCA to discuss this matter as if it is its own peculiar problem, but it should be the responsibility of all the Alliance leaders from the UMNO, MCA, and MIC."However, he did not want to give his final views before the party met to discuss the matter.Mahathir, who supported Tan Sri Syed Jaafar's statement, stressed that MCA leaders had to adhere to their earlier decision of not wanting to be included in the Cabinet.
He said that he agreed with the view of MCA leaders that they could not actually represent the people they claimed to represent.According to Mahathir, the support given to Tun Tan Siew Sin by the Chinese chambers of commerce and other Chinese organisations could not be taken as support from the Chinese community as a whole to MCA because those organisations did not represent the desires of the Chinese community as a whole."If MCA wants to know whether they have the support of the Chinese, they have to wait for the next general election. Since this will take quite some time, it is no longer necessary for MCA to remain in the
Cabinet," he emphasised.

Mahathir also said that MIC's position in the Cabinet should also be reconsidered.
Syed Nasir stressed that on the whole, the relationship between UMNO, MCA and MIC had to be reviewed to take in the changes which had taken place after the general elections."The people have expressed their needs and desires, and there is little point in pretending that the policies of the Alliance party are the best acceptable to them," he said.

more on May 13

May 13 - 1969 Chinese Malay Race Riots http://www.aseannewsnetwork.com/2004/02/may-13-1969-chinese-malay-race-riots.html
The May 13 Incident is a term for the Chinese-Malay race riots in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on May 13, 1969 which left at least 184 people dead.
Contents
1 Causes of the Riot
2 The Singapore response
3 Repercussions of the Riot
4 Political references
5 See also

Causes of the Riot
On formation in 1963, Malaysia suffered from a sharp division of wealth between the entrepreneurial Chinese, who controlled a large portion of the Malaysian economy, and the poor, rural Malays. However, this is not to say that the Chinese controlled the largest share of the national wealth. This honour went to foreigners and colonial linked companies, who at that time held the highest percentage of the national wealth.Race riots in Singapore in 1964 were a large contributing factor in the expulsion of Singapore from Malaysia, and racial tension continued to simmer, many Malays dissatisfied by their newly independent government's perceived willingness to placate the Chinese at their expense.In the May 10, 1969 general elections, the ruling Alliance coalition headed by the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) suffered a large setback in the polls. The largely Chinese opposition Democratic Action Party and Gerakan gained in the elections, and secured a police permit for a victory parade through a fixed route in Kuala Lumpur. However, the rowdy procession deviated from its route and headed through the Malay district of Kampong Bahru, jeering at the inhabitants.While the Gerakan party issued an apology the next day, UMNO announced a counter-procession starting from the head of Selangor state Dato' Harun bin Idris on Jalan Raja Muda. Reportedly, the gathering crowd was informed that Malays on their way to the procession had been assaulted by Chinese in Setapak, several miles to the north. The angry protestors swiftly wreaked revenge by killing two passing Chinese motorcyclists, and the riot began.During the course of the riots the loudspeakers of mosques were forcefully used to urge the rioters to continue in their actions.The riot ignited the capital Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding state of Selangor, but except for minor disturbances in Melaka the rest of the country stayed calm. A nationwide state of emergency and accompanying curfew were declared on May 16 but the curfew was relaxed in most parts of the country on May 18 and not enforced even in central Kuala Lumpur within a week.According to police figures, 184 people died, 356 were wounded and many women were raped. 753 cases of arson were logged and 211 vehicles were destroyed or severely damaged. Other sources place the number of dead at 196 or even above 200. Some estimates place deaths as high as 700 as a direct result of rioting.

The Singapore response
The May 13 incident also stirred up some resentment in neighbouring Singapore. The Chinese Singaporeans, feeling unhappy about what has happened to the Malaysian Chinese in Malaysia, started some riots including arson against the Malays in Kampong Glam and Chinatown. Road blocks were later set up by the military force to prevent further violence, but the number of casualties were not as high.

Repercussions of the Riot
Immediately after the riot, the government assumed emergency powers and suspended parliament (which would not reconvene until 1971). It also suspended the press and established a National Operations Council.The riot led to the expulsion of Malay nationalist Mahathir Mohamad from UMNO and propelled him to write his seminal work The Malay Dilemma, in which he posits a solution to Malaysia's racial tensions.Tunku Abdul Rahman was toppled as Prime Minister in the ensuing UMNO power struggle, the new 'Malay-ultra' dominated government swiftly moved to placate Malays with the Malaysian New Economic Policy (NEP), enshrining affirmative action policies for the bumiputra (Malay) class. Many of Malaysia's draconian press laws, originally targeting racial encitement, also date from this period.

Political references
This incident is raised during voting years to imply consequences to the other ethnic groups of not voting for the ruling United Malays National Organization party. However, as the people who lived through the incident are replaced by post '69 citizens, there is less to be gained from such statements.In 2004, during the UMNO general assembly Badruddin Amiruldin (new deputy permanent chairman) waved a book on May 13 during his speech and stated "No other race has the right to question our privileges, our religion and our leader". He also stated that doing so would be similiar to "stirring up a hornet's nest".The next day, Dr Pirdaus Ismail (Umno Youth EXCO) was quoted as saying "Badruddin did not pose the question to all Chinese in the country," "Those who are with us, who hold the same understanding as we do, were not our target. In defending Malay rights, we direct our voice at those who question them."Deputy Internal Security Minister Noh Omar dismissed the remarks as a lesson in history and said that Badruddin was merely reminding the younger generation of the blot on the nation's history.

my first job

This is where I started working as a trainee Chartered Accountant back in 1989 untill 1992 in Gilberts, St Albans, Herts, England. 3 of the Senior Partners are still there including Mr Keeble who just like to undermine 3rd world countries like Malaysia with questions like this just when he just bought his new Mercedes Benz 190E (it was 1991 then!) It went on something like this.

Keeble: Muhammad, do you have Mercedes cars in Malaysia?

Me: Of course we do, we use them as taxis.

Well we do use them as taxis especially the old diesel ones. Even now we use the W124 as the Airport Limo.

Happy Birthday to Nuruddin

Happy Birthday to Nuruddin, you are 4 years old today