PUTRAJAYA: The government has not received any formal request to declassify documents related to the May 13 racial riots, says Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
He said today that there was no point dwelling on the past because the past should only serve as a lesson and to ensure that such incidents did not recur.
“This (call to declassify the May 13 documents) is just the view of some people,” he said after presenting Datuk Mazlan Mansor with his appointment letter as the new deputy inspector-general of police.
“But, very importantly, those were in the past and we are now looking at now and the future.
“This is the new government. We have promised to the people to be fair and will handle any issues squarely.
“We take into account the interest of the people at large and will not be discriminatory, making sure the country is at peace and in harmony.
“We abhor any form of discrimination, based on race and religion.
“This is the stand of the present government. So, this is more important than the past.”
He said the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government had ruled the country for one year and still had many promises to fulfil.
“We hope we are able to perform in the coming years.
“What is important for Malaysia is to learn from the past and make sure it will not recur in the future.
“What is crucial is what we should do now and in the future.”
He was responding to a call made by Human rights watchdog Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) director and author Kua Kia Soong who is urging the PH government to declassify the secrets of the May 13 racial riots.
This is to get the full story of the May 13 incident, which happened 50 years ago.
Kua, who wrote a book entitled “May 13” in 2007 said his book had attracted the attention of many Malaysians as they did not find the official explanation at the time credible.
Kua also proposed that it was time for the government to erect a memorial to those who had perished in the May 13 incident.
The racial riots, which occurred from May 13 to July 31, 1969, claimed the lives of 196 people. But, certain quarters have estimated the number to be higher.
It was reported that the tragedy, which occurred after the country’s third General Election also left 6,000 people homeless and at least 211 vehicles and 753 buildings damaged or destroyed by fire.
Meanwhile, on reports that about 23 teenage Rohingya girls would be brought to Malaysia by air, Muhyiddin said he had yet to get the full details of the case.
“I do not know if it is accurate or not. Nonetheless, we will look into it. If there is any basis, for sure we will take action according to the law,” he said.
It was also reported that Dhaka police had arrested four human traffickers, including a Rohingya couple, and recovered over 50 Bangladeshi passports from them on Saturday.
Police spokesman Mokhlesur Rahman said they raided a residence in the northern part of the city and found the teenagers hiding in a room behind a tailoring shop.
These girls were promised jobs in Malaysia and brought from refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar. The girls – aged between 15 and 19 – could have been potential victims of forced prostitution, officials were quoted as saying.