The May 13 Incident is a term for
the sectarian violence in Kuala Lumpur (then part of the state of Selangor)
which began on 13 May 1969. The riots led to a declaration of a state of
'national emergency', resulting in the suspension of Parliament by the
Malaysian government, while the National Operations Council (NOC or Majlis
Gerakan Negara, MAGERAN) was established to temporarily govern the country
between 1969 and 1971.
Officially, 196 people were
killed in the riots between 13 May and 31 July 1969, although journalists and
other observers have stated much higher figures. Some reports at the time
suggested that over 2,000 were killed by rioters, police, and Malaysian Army
Rangers, mainly in Kuala Lumpur. The Barisan Nasional coalition government,
which has ruled unabated since independence, has pinned the blame for the
incident solely on the opposition Democratic Action Party, which is larged
perceived as Chinese-based. Many, however, allege that the riots were simply a
ploy by the Malay elites within the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO)
to topple the moderate Tunku Abdul Rahman, as well as to further their agenda
of Ketuanan Melayu (Malay supremacy) which has dominated Malaysian government
policy ever since.
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