'May 13 has begun, soak keris with Chinese blood': APOLOGIZE for twisting history - Teresa slams Noh

BN MP for Tannjung Karang Datuk Noh Omar, while debating amendments to the Security Offences (Special Measures) in Parliament yesterday, said that Malaysia would not be a country at peace if the Ops Lalang dragnet was not carried out in 1987.

He said that there was a threat of racial riots in 1987 before the dragnet, which saw the arrest of 106 people, was carried out. He further said “This was because the non-Malays had questioned the rights of Malays”.

It is shocking that Noh could so blatantly distort history by claiming that the non Malays had questioned Malay rights.

Racial tensions existed before the infamous Operation Lalang was launched not because DAP leaders, Christians, educationists, environmentalist and others detained under the Operation had questioned Malay rights.

Neither had the three newspapers The Star, Watan and Sin Chew Jit Poh which had their publishing permits suspended, questioned Malay rights.

Noh Omar ought to know that racial tensions had been created because of some power seekers in Umno.

DAP Parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang who was one of the DAP leaders detained for 18 months under ISA in the infamous crackdown has said these in his statement dated February 9, 2011:-

I had always conceded that there were racial tensions in October 1987, but these racial tensions were not created by DAP MPs or others detained under Operation Lalang, but solely the deliberate and irresponsible creation of certain power-seekers in UMNO at a time when there was general insecurity at all levels of the UMNO leadership because of deep UMNO party split between two factions, one led by Mahathir and the other by Tengku Razaleigh-Musa Hitam.

As Bapa Malaysia and the first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman said immediately after the Operation Lalang crackdown in November 1987, “It’s not a question of Chinese against the Government but his own party, UMNO, who are against him”. – The London Times, 9th November 1987.

The Government White Paper “Towards Preserving National Security” issued in March 1988 to justify the Operation Lalang detentions referred to the UMNO Youth Rally at the Jalan Raja Muda Stadium in Kuala Lumpur on 17th October 1987 with banners displaying slogans: “MAY 13 HAS BEGUN” and “SOAK IT (KRIS) WITH CHINESE BLOOD” but no action was taken against the UMNO Youth leaders who enjoyed immunity and impunity for such seditious and criminal incitements.

Operation Lalang marked a dark chapter in the nation’s history. 106 detainees and their families had suffered due to the draconian ISA; many journalists lost their jobs during the 1987 crackdown.

Non Omar should retract his unjust and false remarks and apologise to all who had suffered due to the 1987 ISA crackdown.

Teresa Kok is the MP for Seputih