Malaysians remember 13 May 1969 as one of the bleakest days in the country’s history. It was the day deadly racial riots took place, triggered by a political confrontation which laid bare the fragile state of inter-ethnic relations at the time.

In the general elections on 10 May 1969, opposition parties gained ground and reduced the majority of the Alliance Party (the predecessor to the Barisan Nasional that was voted out in May 2018). What began as victory marches by political parties soon morphed into violent clashes, with Malays on one side and Chinese on the other. Kuala Lumpur was in lockdown, and a curfew was declared that evening.

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Novia Shin - New Naratif

Novia Shin

Novia Shin is a Malaysian illustrator and the grand prize winner of the Malaysia Young Contemporaries Awards 2016. Novia is passionate about experiencing local culture and history. She has been documenting history with various media ranging from illustration, paper art, miniature art, comics, animation and installation art. Find her on Instagram at @noviaaaaaaashin.