You want us to collect Chin Peng’s ashes and return it, asks Dr M

Dr Mahathir Mohamad asks why people are making Chin Peng’s ashes an issue now. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today played down the controversy revolving around the bringing back of Chin Peng’s ashes to Malaysia, saying such issues were raised to smear the government’s image.

“He is already dead. Many people tortured us in the past, like the Japanese. Let’s forget the past. And he cannot do anything now, it is just his ashes” he said, referring to the former Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) leader.

Mahathir was speaking to reporters in Seoul, where he is on a working visit.

On Tuesday, Malaysiakini reported that Chin Peng, who died in 2013, had “returned home” on Sept 16 this year, with his ashes brought back from Thailand and scattered at sea as well as on a hillside near Chemor, Perak.

Police are now investigating the matter for intentional insult with intent to provoke. They want to find out how the ashes were brought into the country.

Mahathir also wondered why people would make such matters an issue.

“Who do you want to appease? Do you want us to collect the ash and send it overseas?

“These are trivial things that are raised to smear the government,” he said.

MORE TO COME - FMT