The second day after the KKB by-election results coincided with the 55th anniversary of the 13 May 1969 race riots. It happened three days after the May 10 election of that year, the third after Malaysia’s independence on Aug 31, 1957. It has left an indelible mark on the Malaysian psyche—yet one of the few Malaysians left to have lived through that incident, a once powerful and well-regarded one, none other than Tun Mahathir, decided to declare on his social media accounts: The Malays have lost their way. If they voted for a non-Malay in Kuala Kubu Bharu, why not a non-Malay PM? Thankfully, Malaysians of all stripes thoroughly rejected this, with many mocking the old nonagenarian for continuing to put himself in the public eye despite his recent legacy marred by political miscalculation and betrayals of the people’s mandate. For most Malaysians, the incident is nothing but a near myth - only discussed in whispers and anonymous corners of the internet. Yet the consequences of that sord...