Put a stop to this May 13 nonsense

Of all the voices polled by The Malaysian Insider yesterday pledging to avoid another May 13 racial clash, a few top names were missing.

Now, this is either due to The Malaysian Insider not doing a thorough job or that those voices themselves have not been pro-active to vow that they are for a peaceful Malaysia no matter how rough the economy or politics will be.

I am talking about voices from Umno, be it Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad or the present leadership like Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, coming out to denounce Datuk Ibrahim Ali for his suggestion.

Or is Ibrahim speaking on their behalf? Can they put an end to this May 13 nonsense and the belief that Malays would resort to violence to keep power?

Can they just make sure that only Ibrahim and Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil are stuck together in the past, thinking that such a clash is possible in this day and age.

And if they do, are they suggesting that Umno is such a sore loser that it will cause trouble on behalf of its 3.5 million members who have lost political clout?

As a Malay, I am insulted that people like Ibrahim can even suggest that our community or Umno will not accept the verdict at the ballot boxes. Or that we think lesser of our other brethren who make up Malaysia.

MCA vice-president Datuk Seri Chor Chee Heung said it well, that Ibrahim was doing a disservice to Barisan Nasional (BN), which has developed Malaysia after the May 13 incident.

“Sometimes my friend Datuk Ibrahim Ali, he is just behind the times ... Totally living in the times far behind from the modern world,” he told The Malaysian Insider.

“He needs to be careful in making these remarks ... the prime minister is bringing the 1 Malaysia concept, the concept of unity ... these kind of remarks will make some citizens angry,” said MIC vice-president Datuk SK Devamany.

I would like to hear Umno leaders’ thoughts on this subject. We have come so far from May 13 to throw it away just to keep power. And I can’t understand how Umno can take this insult that it is prone to violence if it loses in the elections.

Let’s keep Ibrahim in the past, like May 13. And move forward to a democratic and well-governed Malaysia.

* Fikry Osman reads The Malaysian Insider.