May 13, 1969: Beginnings

The nation was in ruins.

As a child in Sekolah Temenggong Abdul Rahman in Johor Bahru, I was saddened and baffled when my favorite Math teacher who liked me a lot suddenly threw my exercise book out of the door one morning. I cried.

A child's horrible experience.

I was puzzled and afraid. She is Chinese. I did not notice she was that; since my beloved aunt is an adopted Chinese girl given to my grandfather during the Japanese Occupation.

I was about 7 then. I heard of a few Malays in red headbands in great numbers - from Muar, Batu Pahat, Johor Bahru, and Pontian rushing to Kuala Lumpur. I heard the words 'Kampong Baru, KL'. That sounded like 'Kampong Melayu Majidee' to me - a place where I grew up.

I heard the words "curfew" and darurat (emergency) for the first time.

I heard that Kuala Lumpur was burning. I was scared. It took me many decades to understand what is possible after May 13, 1969.