The race riots in Kuala Lumpur took place on May 13, 1969. This followed the Malaysian general election, in which the predominantly Chinese minority parties took seats from the Alliance Party, the predominantly Malay party. The origins of the conflict can be traced to earlier divides between races in Malaysia, as the Chinese minority was perceived to control the economic and urban areas of Malaysia. This divide bred resentment between Malay groups, who felt that they were not reaping the rewards of gaining independence from British colonial rule in 1957. Chinese groups also felt disrespected by the Malay dominance in political representation, which they felt did not hold their interests in mind.

The Penang riots in 1957, 1959, 1964, and 1967 served as precursors to the Kuala Lumpur riots, in the last of which Mel’s father is reported to have died. The race riots in Singapore in 1964 even led to Singapore’s separating itself from Malaysia in 1965. As noted in the text, the Malaysian government reported that 196 people were killed in the 1969 riots, though independent sources report a death toll closer to 600. In the aftermath of the riots, the Malaysian government adopted a variety of policies, including the New Economic Policy, which supported an ideology of Malay Supremacy, further exacerbating racial tensions in the country.