PETALING JAYA: The horrific scenes, deaths and destruction of the May 13, 1969 racial riots are still etched in the memories of National Patriots Association’s (Patriot) members who were involved in public order duties back then.
“Patriots despise terror. We despise killing and harming against humanities. We have seen war and we hate war,” its president BG (Rtd) Datuk Mohamed Arshad Raji (pix) said in a statement today.
Political leaders who championed race and religion are doing it for their own selfish political survival, he said.
“It had nothing to do with the betterment of their own race and religion they claimed to defend. Politicians especially those from the opposition who constantly inflame race and religion issues should be silenced,” he said.
“Such people, who thumb their chest loudly and who have never seen real combat, and have never experienced terror, are actually cowards.”
Mohamed Arshad said Patriot has no qualm at speaking out against those who harbour the intention to cause racial conflict and societal disharmony. Another incident of racial strife like the dark episode of the May 13 incident would be destructive.
He called on Malaysians to look beyond this dark May 13 episode. All Malaysians must now march forward, shoulder-to-shoulder, to attain the “shared prosperity” that was just announced by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, he added.
