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The National Patriots Association president said many of these politicians who have been bringing up the topic were not personally affected by the tragedy.
“For these individuals, I would like to ask, ‘Where were you on May 13, 1969?’ If you were not born yet, it’s better to remain silent,” he said at a press conference here today.
Arshad regretted how certain quarters were bringing up the incident to lay blame on others, when hundreds of people died in the riots.
He warned that irresponsible parties using the tragedy to smear their political opponents could cause disharmony in a society that longs for peace.
“As a former soldier, along with my comrades in Patriot, we cannot bear to see our country plunge into the chaos of inter-ethnic riots and armed conflicts. During our service, we constantly faced worrisome situations, where lives were at stake.”
Arshad also announced the formation of the Coalition of Patriotism and National Unity (GPPK) comprising 61 NGOs in Peninsular Malaysia, which he will chair.
The group aspires to see Malaysians live in harmony, and continue to foster mutual understanding and tolerance towards one another.
Yesterday, Lim Kit Siang sent a letter of demand to former Umno secretary-general Annuar Musa for allegedly linking the DAP veteran to the May 13 riots and accusing him of fanning racial flames.
Annuar, now with PAS, later said he plans to countersue Lim for accusing him of being prone to making wild, nonsensical and baseless allegations.
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