Dato Sri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar – File photo
KUCHING: The return of former Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) leader Chin Peng’s ashes to Malaysia was not only insensitive but also a blatant disregard to those who had lost their lives in defending the country from the communists, said Santubong MP Dato Sri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.
He pointed out that in Sarawak, many servicemen and policemen as well as civilians were killed by the communists during attacks, particularly in the 1970s.
“The (communist) emergency in Sarawak was from 1962 to 1974. But the last communist withdrawal in Sarawak was in October 1990, (and) this showed the communists were not fighting the Japanese (and the British), but they were fighting to change the government to set up a communist state,” he said when debating the Defence Ministry’s allocation at the Dewan Rakyat in Kuala Lumpur today.
His speech was supported by fellow Sarawak MPs from Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) namely Kapit MP Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi and Kanowit MP Datuk Aaron Aro Dagang who both interjected to say that their family members were killed during the communist insurgency.
Nanta said he even lost an uncle following ambush attack by the communists. He also said there are many veterans in Sarawak who have witnessed and survived the attacks and they can testify to the hardship during that period.
Aaron, on the other hand, also said one of the communist attacks occurred in Ngemah, where a memorial had been built there to remember those who had lost their lives then.
Wan Junaidi, himself a police veteran, said he had spent five years during the service in operations against the communists in the jungle.
The first operation he participated was when he was aged 24 years old, he added.
He also informed the Dewan Rakyat that 18 members of Royal Malay Regiment were killed by the communists following an attack in Kapit.
He added that not long after that, 14 members of Border Scouts were killed by the communists.
“Those who lost their lives were mainly Malays and Dayaks,” he said.
Due to the deaths and destruction by the communists, he said he still agreed with the stand made by the previous government that the remains of the late Chin Peng should not be brought back to Malaysia.
“This is not about being emotional, but the stand by the previous government was made after looking into various angles and history. And I still agree with that stand,” he said.
This was followed by Barisan Nasional’s Cameron Highlands MP Ramli Mohd Nor and PAS’ Pendang MP Awang Hashim who interjected to support the view made by Wan Junaidi.
When contacted later, Wan Junaidi said he wanted the current Pakatan Harapan government to make a stand on the late Chin Peng’s ashes being brought back to the country.
“How can we allow this to happen? Probably after this, there will be people who want to build a memorial to remember this communist leader.
“We should not allow this, for this will disregard the sacrifices of servicemen and policemen who had defended the country,” he said.
The ashes of Chin Peng, whose real name is Ong Boon Hua, had been brought back to Malaysia two months ago. The ashes were reportedly scattered into the sea as well as the Titiwangsa range.
The ashes reportedly arrived in Ipoh on Sept 16. A memorial ceremony, attended by some 150 people, was allegedly held on the same day.
Chin Peng, born in Sitiawan, Perak, on 1924, died in a Thai hospital at the age of 89.
He headed the CPM’s guerrilla insurgency during the Malayan Emergency in an attempt to establish an independent communist state.
After Malaya gained its independence, Chin Peng in 1968 waged a second campaign against the government to replace the administration with a communist one. This period saw Chin Peng’s forces ambush military convoys, bombing national monuments, and assassinate police officers and political targets.
Peace with the Malaysian government was finally brokered in 1989, with the signing of the Peace Agreement of Hat Yai.
The previous government administration had issued a warning against bringing his remains or ashes back to Malaysia. The Federal Court, on April 30,2009, ruled against his application to reside in Malaysia because he was unable to prove he was born in the country.