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Chin Peng finds support in Malaysian Socialist Party
Malaysia Kini - May 31, 2009
Parti Sosialis Malaysia became the latest party to urge the government to allow former communist chief Chin Peng to return home for good.
The party said the government must honour the peace accord that it signed with the Communist Party of Malaya (MCP) in 1989 and allow former MCP leader Chin Peng to return to the country.
"The government should not backtrack on the peace accord and deny the rights promised to the former communist leader," said PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvan today.
The peace accord was signed between the Malaysian government, MCP and the Thailand government in Haadyai, Thailand on Dec 2, 1989.
Chin Peng, 85, whose real name is Ong Boon Hua has been living in exile in Bangkok and had sought permission from the government to be allowed to return home.
However, his request has been rejected and a court case to compel the government to allow his return has also failed. The court has rejected the application when he could not produce his birth certificate and Malaysian citizenship documents.
Following that various quarters have asked the government to allow the former communist leader to be allowed to return based on his old age and his plea to visit his family members.
At the same token, there are also severe objections in not wanting Chin Peng to be allowed to return based on the terror his organisation had imposed on the society during their hey days.
The government has also clearly stated that it would not entertain any request for Chin Peng to be allowed back. Party leaders returned unopposed
However, the ban is seemed to be applicable only to Chin Peng as previously the government had allowed communist party members Rashid Maidin, Abdullah CD, Shamsiah Fakeh, Zainon @ Ah Yan, Suraiani Abdullah and Abu Samah Mohamad Kassim to return home.
"According to the deal, they (former communists of Malaysian origin) will be allowed to come back into the country and reside if they follow the Malaysian laws," added Arutchelvan.
He also said that those who objected to allow Chin Peng to return home should not be pointing to the cruelty of the communist as a reason.
"The Japanese army during their occupation of Malaya had also tortured and murdered thousands of Malaysians.
"However, now they are welcomed with open arms to invest in our country. Why the double standards? Let us forget the past and move ahead through reconciliation – that should be the Malaysian spirit," he said.
PSM, with its national congress underway in Ipoh until tomorrow, will table a resolution to urge the government to allow Chin Peng to return to the country.
This year's party congress will also see party polls taking place. However, there will be no contest for the four top party posts.
Incumbent party president Nasir Hashim, 64, deputy president M Saraswathy, 56, secretary-general Arutchelvan, 42, and treasurer A Sivarajan, 39, all retained their posts without contest.
This non-contest for the top-posts was in the party's spirit of giving acknowledgement to the sacrifices of these leaders who had worked hard to build the party and get it recognised by the Registrar of Societies after 10 years of struggling.
However, there will be a keen contest for the election of five central committee members. A total of 14 members are contesting in the election which is held later today.
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