Groups seek heritage status for Sungai Buloh's May 13 cemetery

The cemetery in Sungai Buloh where victims of the May 13, 1969 riot are buried, is now cleaner.

THE cemetery in Sungai Buloh where victims of the May 13 riots were buried is cleaner now thanks to Good Samaritans, but the call to preserve it as a heritage site has yet to receive response from the relevant authorities.

On a recent visit to the cemetery, StarMetro found that the site was free from the thick undergrowth that used to almost blanket the headstones.

About 10 headstones had been visited by family members during Qing Ming as evidenced by traces of paper left behind.

Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall chief executive officer Tang Ah Chai said the group had sprayed weed killer at the cemetery at the end of last month, but pointed out that family members of the victims must have helped too because the site appeared cleaner this week.

Gombak district village liaison officer Chee Chu Sang also had workers repair some of the collapsed or displaced headstones on Tuesday.

Tang said the assembly hall had engaged a contractor to fence up the cemetery with RM8,000 already contributed by a group of enthusiasts.

He added that it also made arrangements to repair damaged headstones and beautify the site with a separate budget.

He said he sent out letters to the National Heritage Department but had yet to receive a reply.

The assembly hall will also be organising a multi-faith public memorial service for the victims on April 29.

The forgotten cemetery once shielded from view, caught public attention again last month when the surrounding forest was cleared illegally for what was believed to be a carpark.

Meanwhile, more groups have joined hands to appeal for the government to gazette the cemetery as a heritage site, as well as to build a memorial there to honour the victims.

A Facebook group named “May 13, 1969: In Memoriam” has been formed to call for a stop on possible developments on the burial ground.

Independent scholar Dr Por Heong Hong also wrote several articles calling for the victims to be given due honour and to re-look at the incident in a different light instead of treating it as a taboo subject, so that future generations could learn from past mistakes.