I refer to the Malaysiakini report Army chief defends 'stern action' call

Going through our history, there have been a few occasions when Malaysia was embroiled in the trauma of racial tension and some times even acted out against it. Coincidentally, it was also a time when there was internal conflict in Umno, with issues of race taking centre-stage.

May 13 happened over 39 years ago and yet the story of this event has been passed down from one generation to another. I am the third generation in my family and have been hearing this story from young. The story went that the Malays were out to kill the Chinese and when the military was sent in to stop the rioting, because the units themselves comprised mainly of Malays, they joined in the slaughter.

As time passed and documents were de-classified, we come to know that it was not about race, but the vested interest in the minority few to gain power. May 13 was simply a ploy to up-root Tunku Abdul Rahman. Yet in order to force his resignation, some people were willing to sacrifice the lives of innocent people. It really disgusts me to see so many people suffered untold agonies just to satisfy the needs of a select few.

May 13 did not end there. We saw the same thing happening during the 1980s when racial tensions were again raised. It was coincidental that Dr Mahathir was overseas when a potential clash between the Chinese and the Malays over a Chinese School issue threatened to erupt.

This time the cards were better played by Dr Mahathir. He has let temperatures rise to a certain extent while he was overseas but when he came back, he used the ISA to have all his foes removed.

Today, we see another power struggle within Umno, with realistic threats from the opposition to take over the country. It was no surprise to everyone that the racial card has made a reappearance in the political arena. This was kicked off by Ahmad Ismail, who exclaimed that the rights of the Malays had been threatened. This created a row between Umno Penang branch and the Chinese components of BN.

If there has really been an increase in racial tension in Malaysia, I don't see it. So far, BN has been writing and acting out their own play. The strong warnings and the emotional tearing up of Gerakan acting president Koh Tsu Koon’s photograph were done in front of the media to give these acts more publicity.

The Malays reacted cooly to Ahmad's call and the Chinese were disinterest in what MCA and Gerakan were doing. Even the opposition has only issued a formal complaint to BN on the incident. The whole incident has so far been internal.

However, in the latest development, BN has expanded the brawl by dragging in the opposition. Khir Toyo’s accusations that Teresa Kok had ordered mosques to tone down azans are clearly attempts to escalate racial tension.

Another alarming sign is the sudden involvement of the Armed Forces chief. It is more alarming that the first thing he did was warn the rakyat of the possibility of the army getting involved in the fracas. To ensure peace, he said.

I understand why PAS is against the army getting involved in this issue. As far as I know, keeping the peace is the duty of the police and not the army. The armed forces chief’s appearance is highly disturbing, giving rise to speculation that a plot is being hatched to repeat the dangerous tensions of May 13.

There is no need for nationwide participation, all you need is around 100 followers to start the ball rolling. It will provide BN enough ammunition to use the ISA and remove its enemies. It does not matter if the opposition participates, as long as BN says they are, it will be enough to justify the arrests.

These are dangerous times in Malaysia where people are at risk of losing their freedom. I can only hope good sense prevails.