Being an Indian Malaysia, I read with keen interest Remembering Kampung Medan: one year after and Govt urged to protect laws to protect minorities .

While the persistence and noble intentions of the NGOs cited in the reports are admirable and praiseworthy, this dark episode needs to be viewed from a wider perspective. Indian Malaysians should refrain from assuming a narrow sectarian stance and tone over this issue as it would be a retrogressive step for the process of healing and the uplifting of the socio-economic status of the community.

Reports on what actually transpired at Kampung Medan, before and after the clashes, were confusing and conflicting. An interested reader would have noted the numerous individuals from political parties and NGOs who have been making statements on this issue. Unfortunately some of these organisations have vested interests and are merely out to score political points and attain some cheap publicity out of this tragic flare-up of communal violence. This has muddled the situation. The existence of some opportunistic and irresponsible Kg Medan residents out to make a quick buck from this tragedy has further exacerbated the already confused state of affairs.

Of all individuals, political parties and NGOs who have been associating themselves with this issue, the only one in my eyes that has real credibility is Yayasan Strategik Sosial (YSS), the social welfare arm of the MIC. YSS had been active in the area long before the incident, trying to help to uplift the lives of the residents there. Their activities intensified after the March 2001 clashes when their volunteers continue to keep a close watch on the situation and victims.

However unlike Prim (Parti Reformasi Insan Malaysia), they do not seek cheap publicity, they keep a low profile and tend to focus their efforts in helping the victims recover from their traumatic experience and organise activities to improve the economic well-being of the residents. There are a few other organisations active in this area carrying out noteworthy deeds as well, but they only appeared after the racial strife.

Kg Medan, Kg Lindungan, Kg Gandhi and other surrounding Indian-majority areas have been for years a hotbed of criminal activities and gangsterism. Violent crimes like murder and gang fights were common, drug dealing and substance addiction rampant. The area was often used as a sanctuary by notorious criminals. Some of the residents had a proclivity to resort to violence in settling misunderstandings and difference of opinions. The area was deemed as unsafe to non-residents and even to the police. People have been assaulted and even murdered for merely looking at the gangsters.

The gangsters based here drove fear into the hearts of people in the adjacent areas by wantonly threatening, assaulting or killing those who displeased them in the slightest. It was no surprise that the anger and frustration that were simmering in the heart of Malay Malaysians in the neighbourhood over this state of affairs finally culminated in the bloody racial clashes which killed six people and injured scores.

One of the factors that contributed to this situation is the poor socio-economic condition of the residents. Most were poor and illiterate and mainly employed in low-paying manual jobs. The physical infrastructure of the area was shockingly poor. I have visited countless poor estates all over the country but nothing prepared me for the sight that greeted me on my first visit to Kg Medan more than a decade ago. I felt as though I had suddenly been transferred to a slum in Calcutta. Until that day I never believed such an impoverished and squalid place could possibly exist in Malaysia, let alone in Klang Valley.

This state of neglect was also evident in the Malay-majority neighbourhoods in the area, though to a lesser degree. It is incomprehensible how such slums could be allowed to exist in an area barely a stones throw from the high-tech Sungei Way Industrial Estate and within the most prosperous district (Petaling Jaya) in the most prosperous state (Selangor) in Malaysia. Clearly something has gone seriously wrong with our efforts in social-economic developments and poverty eradication programmes.

However it would be wrong to absolve all blame from the residents. There were some initiatives by MIC, mainly through YSS, to improve the lot of these people long before the outbreak of the clash, but the residents were unco-operative. YSS faced numerous obstacles initially, many of the residents appeared to be hostile and disinterested in improving their own neighbourhood and livelihood. The same indifference greeted law enforcement and other authorities.

It is pointless to call for an inquiry into the police failure to provide adequate protection to the Indian community of Kg Medan. Bearing in mind that the mobs numbered in hundreds, the death toll of the Indians would have been much higher had the police indeed failed to act swiftly to provide security. In the early stages the situation was chaotic and certainly the district police were caught unprepared. They lacked the manpower and only when the reinforcement arrived were they able to restore law and order. Even if an investigation is ordered and the findings back up the claims of the NGOs, there will be nothing to be gained for the Indian community.

There is much for Malaysians and Indian Malaysians in particular to learn from this tragic incident. Efforts should be channelled toward building bridges across the racial divide and facilitating in the healing process rather than rekindling the painful memories or finding scapegoats. Other potential Kg Medans abound around the country and it would be far more constructive for the concerned parties to sit down and to work on the preventive measures.