It is good that bumiputeras like G James come forth publicly with a statement claiming that the NEP had effects which prevented another May 13. However, I remain skeptical as the evidence in not compelling.

James' presumed thesis, like those of many others, is that poverty and suffering due to inequality often leads to strife and social unrest, and ultimately violence. This sounds very logical and history has provided various examples.

Even in apparently homogenous societies like18th century France, Depression-era US, Europe during the 1920s and more recently in former Yugoslavia and certain African states, such scenarios have occurred.

The events of May 13,1969 are largely documented via second and even third hand reports. One really does not know whether there have been distortions and exaggerations as such information gets passed on.

Taking some of the events of May 13 into context, it is pitiful that the Government has not only continuously suppressed open unbiased research on this subject (via intimidation and the ISA) but also tried to its best to cover it up in assuming that it is shameful and guilt-inducing.

Rather like what the Communists did to thousands of years of ancient Chinese history which is now lost forever.

Only recently, could one really find some documentation on May 13 on the Internet. Human conflict is eternal and research into prevention is always healthy in any society at any point of time. A blas assumption that what some leaders concoct and have all believe in as the only solution - as, for example the NEP - is not only shortsighted but retrogressive.

For example, if the post-May 13 government had not implemented the NEP but imposed martial law for a long period and later invited the United Nations or the Commonwealth to review and allow the results of the general election which had purportedly sparked the riots, there might have been a totally different outcome.

But, instead, it appeared that a charismatic leader of a group rejected the election results and inspired his followers to violence. For this, he received a token jail sentence and everything else was subsequently suppressed. This is only a hypothesis, untested and unproven.

Extrapolating on Amartya Sen's theory of social choice and arguing that poverty (though not synonymous with famine) may not occur in a vibrant democracy, one would be able to understand that social unrest (e.g like May 13) - which may be a result of poverty or perceptions of what is related to poverty and injustice may also actually not be an outcome.

To answer my original question, I do not think it has been ever convincingly proven that the NEP did not prevent another May 13. Is the peace we have been seeing in Malaysia fairly similar to the perverted peace during the reign of Saddam Hussein in Iraq? Should the experiment-turned policy of the NEP be judged rather than calculated?

I believe that social historians, both local and foreign, should be encouraged to perform research into May 13. The nation should have now matured sufficiently not to be swayed by the influence of certain charismatic politicians whose prime goal is to suppress knowledge in order to remain in control.

Such research may actually bring Malaysia to a new level of awareness and even inspire better integration in moving forward as opposed to the appalling polarisation seen today courtesy of money and religious politics amongst others.