May 13 Friday was the forty-second anniversary of the riots that saw the minority

communities in the country enduring numerous acts of mindless killngs, shootings,

lootings and arson. Many innocents became orphans or homeless. Granted, the acts
took place so many years ago and it really should be time to let bad memories fade.
But the current situation in the country necessitates making a very brief trip back
into the past and examine how unscrupulous politicians and individuals are always
ready to whip up trouble in order to achieve their dirty objectives. Especially the
hidden but well-nurtured intentions to seize political control.

The anti-minority Utusan paper was merely given a caution despite whipping up a
series of anti-minority articles especially after March 2008. The latest one for which
they were cautioned was an article that carried very blatant fabrications against the
Christian community. The caution issued against the paper is considered just a slap on
the wrist for Utusan which is known for maintaining ultra extremist views. Why is this
situation allowed to exist or to remain simmering despite the bad experiences of 5-13
and the passing of the years ?

The reasons are not hard to find. First, Utusan is owned by the race supremacist
party which coincidentally was also responsible for starting the 5-13 riots. Today,
no one can deny that this party is the organ very thoroughly responsible for all the
endless talk or mention about ‘race’, ‘religion’, ‘language’ and ethnicity in the
country. No day passes without an individual, or politician, or a newpaper or the
mass media (controlled or owned by the party) mouthing all those undesirable words.
It is as if the party wants to keep the bad memories alive. Purpose ? To maintain their
iron grip on power. The party is also very shamelessly carrying out the implementation
of a double-faced policy. This policy allows the party to whip up slogans calling for a
one-this and a one-that, but at the same time, providing extremely voluminous space to
the many race supremacist groups in the country to rear their heads. These groups are
now springing up like mushrooms after a season of heavy rain. Why is this still very
desirable today ? So that the race supremacist party can maintain its grip on power.
These groups are busily calling for a fresh nationwide ‘unity’ based on racial identity.
The mass media is now full of scare stories and urgings calling for PAS to go for it.
Utusan was allowed to publish an editorial last October that described the 5-13 riots
as a blessing, because it paved the way for current affirmative policies to be put in place.
However, these policies merely entrenched the race supremacy elements and their
families, relatives and friends and purposefully kept bad memories alive in order to
ensure that the aims of entrenching the supremacists in the country would last forever.