May 13
by Kua Kia Soong

Cover suaram
Details thestar

Started reading 20 June 2007
Finished reading 27 June 2007

A different viewpoint of the reasons behind the tragedy. The author uses documents that have been declassified as the basis of his theory that the incident happened because of a plot to overthrow the incumbent government of the day. He refutes the official version that says communist elements and the machinations of the opposition triggered the incident. The author proposes that instead it was elements within the ruling party which started the tragedy. Some factions in the ruling party were shocked at the losses during the elections and were hell bent in preserving the status quo. Eye witness accounts from the expatriate community and foreign news dispatches confirms the lop sided approach of the security forces during the mess. There was a decidedly racial basis from certain quarters in the way they handled the situation. The fact that the book has been permitted to go on sale in Malaysia shows that there may be some truth in the accounts. The government has not denied the findings.