Silver Linings Among the Dark May 13 Cloud

It is interesting to read Datuk Kamaruddin Mohd’s commentary in the New Straits Times (11/5/2008) on the May 13 riots (www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sunday/Columns/2236838/Article/index_html.)

It was one of the silver linings among the May13 dark cloud that highlighted the positive sides of the incident.

What Datuk Kamaruddin said was true and at the same what Eric Griffith-Jones said was also true.

It could be because of the expose that “the Malay Regiment rather lost its head” that forced the authorities to be fair.

But one nagging doubt is that why mobilized the Malay Regiment when it was a Malay-Chinese riot where public and world perception and opinions were of significance. If the Malay Regiment had done such good deeds as claimed by the writer, then why it had to be replaced by the Sarawak Rangers? History will tell.

Talking of “silver linings” even the Japanese atrocity during World War 2 was committed during the early part of the occupation. When resistance was muted the Japanese was as benevolent as any occupying force could be to win hearts and minds. People like Loh Boon Siew benefited during the occupation and immediately after the war, shot to Japan to import the 50cc motorbike. The rest is history.