The BN government did try to raise the 1969 bogey in its election campaign, stressing that only the Umno-led coalition could ensure peace and stability.

In the final lap of campaigning, less subtle messages appeared in several mainstream newspapers, which raised the spectre of communal clashes should the people cast their vote for the opposition. But the strategy did not work.

Many young Malaysians who reached voting age in the past 10 years do not carry the baggage of the May 13 riots because they have enjoyed uninterrupted economic prosperity and political stability.

The opposition coalition, led by former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim, also took great pains to reassure the Chinese and Indians that the Malays would not tolerate any attempts by the BN to stir racial problems.

At a huge gathering in the Malay enclave of Kampung Baru on the fringes of the capital Kuala Lumpur, Datuk Seri Anwar said that both his Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), the country's main Islamic political organisation, would defend the non-Malays.

'There will be people who will want to stir race problems. But we in PKR and PAS will defend our Chinese and Indian brothers,' he told a cheering crowd of predominantly Malay supporters.

Another reason why Malaysia is unlikely to see a repeat of the 1969 riots is because there is no longer a climate of fear in politics.

Much of the credit for that should go to Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi.

Compared with his combative predecessor Mahathir Mohamad, who many believed would not have been able to accept the sharp erosion of support for the BN, Datuk Seri Abdullah conceded the election results with great magnanimity and grace.