Chin Peng returns home, ashes scattered in sea, jungle

When he was alive, the former Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) secretary-general Chin Peng was not allowed to return to Malaysia.

Now, six years after his death, he has come home. 

His ashes were brought in from Thailand to Malaysia on Sept 16.

According to the coordinator of a group, which handled his remains, Chai Kan Fook, 81, a memorial ceremony was held on the same day the ashes arrived in Ipoh, Perak.

Chin Peng, which is the nom de guerre of Ong Boon Hua, was born in Sitiawan, Perak, in 1924. Following the disbanding of the CPM, he had lived in exile in Thailand.

Chai said the ashes were scattered in the sea near Lumut as well as in the jungles of the Titiwangsa mountain range. There are no monuments to commemorate the sites.

To meet Chin Peng's last wish, the group brought the ashes to pass by his home state in Setiawan and his parents’ grave in Lumut before the ashes were scattered in the sea and jungle.

“Let him back to the sea and mountain of his motherland, let him forever be with his comrades who sacrificed for the nation,” Chai said.

This announcement was made by Chai during a press conference in Ipoh this afternoon. More than 30 friends and comrades of Chin Peng attended as well.

Chai added that the memorial ceremony was not disclosed to the public to prevent any untoward incidents.

“Now that we had accomplished the task, we really feel happy,” he said.

Meanwhile, Chai and his comrades were optimistic that the Pakatan Harapan government will have a different attitude compare with the previous BN government.

Although the new ruling power might still take action against them, Chai believed Harapan will not do so.

“We did not break the law, we have faith in Harapan, we have confidence in them,” he said.

“We are so old now. If they want to take action, they only can arrest us,” She Yu, 74, giggled.

Tong Yee, 82, also said the new government will not behave like the old ruling party.

“If they are the same as the previous government, does that mean that the people has made a wrong decision to overthrow BN (in the general election last year?” Tong asked.

According to Chai, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, former IGP Abdul Rahim Noor and PKR president Anwar Ibrahim were among the leaders who supported bringing back Chin Peng’s ashes to Malaysia.

With Mahathir and Anwar both being in power, it gave them hope to accomplish Chin Peng's last wish of coming back to the motherland, Chai added.  - Mkini