Even though China is still a communist state today, Malaysia's relationship with Beijing is getting better over the years. As the former secretary-general of the Malayan Communist Party, what would you have to say about the development today?
Translated by DOMINIC LOH/Sin Chew Daily
HAT YAI, Thailand: Former Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) chief Chin Peng said he could accept anything, even if the Malaysian government allowed him to "sneak into the country," provided that he was given the opportunity of going back to his native Malaysia in his lifetime.
However he said he would absolutely not accept the condition of an open apology from the government for him to come back to this country again.
He stressed that he had not made any unconditional open apology during a recent interview with the English media from Malaysia, but only a "conditional show of regret."
When answering the reporter's question at that time, he said he was willing to apologise "if it could be proven that the CPM had really been involved in reckless killing of innocent civilians."
He insisted that if the government wanted him to apologise openly and unconditionally in exchange for a permission to come back to the country, he would not accept.
He also stressed that his faith in communism had not swayed even to this day.
He said he didn't feel that he had been taken a ride even with the refusal of the Malaysian government to allow him to return to the country 20 years after the CPM signed a peace treaty with the Malaysian and Thai governments, as the agreement was willingly signed by all the involved parties. He said it was nevertheless a drawback of the treaty looking from political perspectives.
Chin Peng reiterated that his only wish was to "enjoy family togetherness" during a joint interview with Chinese-language print and electronic media from Malaysia in Hat Yai, southern Thailand, on Friday, adding that this desire had nothing to do with whether Malaysia was a communist country or not.
The debilitated 85-year-old former CPM chief, who is currently staying in Bangkok, keeps stressing his desire to return to his homeland, saying his greatest wish has been to return to his hometown and pay respect to his ancestors.
Having learned that prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak would visit southern Thailand next month, Chin Peng said, "Is the PM coming here? If he is willing to see me, I really hope I can voice out this request to him personally."
"If the government stresses humanitarianism and would not haggle over the past, be it the Najib administration or any other administration, it should have considered such a personal request."
"I've no other wishes..."
Hat Yai is only a few hours' drive from Sitiawan, but the way home has not been made available to him over the past two decades.
Can he go home one day? Even he has the slightest clue to the answer of that question.
If he were to come back, will he add to the burden of his family here?
He is not sure either.
Chin Peng, who needs a helping hand even to do the simplest thing like walking around, said he was old and all that he had in mind was to return to his hometown.
He said he wanted to be home to pay respect to his departed ancestors, and to feel the joy of being with his family. However, he said if his return would pose any unnecessary trouble to his family, he was willing to leave again.
DPM Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin recently said that the door for Chin Peng to come back to Malaysia had been shut, which to an 85-year-old man is indeed a cruel rejection.
In a rare joint interview with the Malaysian Chinese print and electronic media in Hat Yai, Chin Peng admitted that he could not remember many things the media had put forward to him.
When asked about the most important message he had tried to deliver in this interview, the physically debilitated old man remained absolutely affirmative in his desire: "I want to go home!"
Not worried about money
He said he was leading a comfortable life now and had plenty of cash in hand. Nevertheless, his greatest regret has been his inability to return to his homeland.
Q: You have on a number of occasions expressed your wish of going back to Malaysia, but some have also asked why you want to go back, as it will no longer be the Malaysia which you once aspired it to be. Your ideal Malaysia is one that embraces communism. How would you respond to that?
A: This (going back) has nothing to do with communism. I want to go back to a capitalist Malaysia; more so if it is a communist state. It is my home country, My siblings are still there and both my parents were also buried there. I will fight for any opportunity to go back there to pay homage to them, at least once in my lifetime. Other than that, I have no other purposes in life. I don't want any propaganda. All I want is to discharge my duty as a son.
But if my family does not want me back, that will be another issue altogether.
"Malaysian government compelled to sign the treaty"
Q: Now that the Malaysian government does not want you back, why do you think Dr Mahathir wanted to sign a peace treaty with the CPM back then? Have you thought about that?
A: I think the government had no choice but to sign the treaty, given the situation at that time. If the government refused to sign the treaty, it would be sidelined by the public. In a similar manner, if we did not sign the treaty, we would also be shunned by the people.
Q: Have you ever had the feeling of being cheated?
A: No. Because we were negotiating together. We all agreed to the contents of the treaty before it was signed. As for the developments that have ensued, that is a separate issue altogether.
Q: Can you give a brief account whether the Malaysian government has really fulfilled the spirit of the peace treaty over the past 20 years, especially on the issue of allowing you to come back to Malaysia? Other than returning to Malaysia, what is your second biggest wish?
A: My biggest wish back then was to return to Malaysia, which is also my primary intention today. Other than, I have no other desires.
Let the people evaluate me
Q: Many young people do not seem to know you. Do you feel sorry for that?
A: I don't. They don't know me because of a variety of reasons, but slowly when they get to know more about the truth, they will come to understand.
Q: I would like to ask how you would evaluate yourself having involving yourself in underground activities for decades. How would you like to be evaluated by the history of Malaysia?
A: I think it will be outrageous for me to answer to your question myself. It should be up to the Malaysian people to evaluate how much I have done for the country, whether what I did had been good or bad for the country. Let the people do the appraisal.
Q: What has been the greatest price you have paid throughout your life? What is the most important message you are trying to relay in this rare interview?
A: I'm very old now. My only message is that I want to go back to my homeland to pay respect to my parents and siblings.
I joined the revolutionary struggle out of my own accord. No one had forced me to do so, and it's therefore hard to say how great a price I have paid.
Not getting assistance from China
Q: How is your financial situation now?
A: No problem at all. I'm leading a relatively comfortable life with plenty of cash in hand.
Q: For your effort to fight for the opportunity to go back to Malaysia as well as your living expenses in Thailand, has the Chinese government offered you any assistance? Or have you ever asked for the assistance from China?
A: The Chinese government has never helped me. Yes, they helped out with my expenses when I was in China, but nothing since then.
Will tell Najib personally his desire of coming back
Q: What would you like to say on those who sacrificed in their struggle, as well as Chinese Malaysians who are still concerned about you today?
A: I want to thank them for their concern. I think it should be that kind of gratitude that comes out from the deepest part of my heart.
Q: How about those who have refused to let you come back?
A: Everyone has his own beliefs in politics. It is natural that those unhappy with me would not want to see me back. But whether people are happy or not happy with me, all I want now is to go back to pray to my ancestors, my grandparents and parents. They have no reasons not to let me go back to pray for my departed family members.
Q: Other than legal channels, have you ever tried other channels, such as contacting government leaders in private, to express your wish of going back to Malaysia?
As the Malaysian prime minister Najib will come to southern Thailand next month, will you see him and tell him what you have always wished?
A: Najib is coming next month? If he is willing to see me, I will tell him personally. But if he is not willing to see me, that will be another story.
Q: Even though China is still a communist state today, Malaysia's relationship with Beijing is getting better over the years. As the former secretary-general of the Malayan Communist Party, what would you have to say about the development today?
Q: The good diplomatic relationship between China and Malaysia goes well with the interests of the Chinese people as well as Malaysian people. I hope to see the relationship between these two countries get better and better, as this is good for the people in both countries.
Will fight for chances of coming back
Q: If the government refuses to let you go back, do you feel that this would be a drawback of the Hat Yai Peace Treaty besides your inability to go back to pay homage to your ancestors?
A: I think so.
Q: Do you have the confidence that you will one day get back to your own country?
A: I do, and will fight for it till the end.
Q: What gives you that confidence? Is it the Najib administration? Or the possibility of a change of government?
A: I will voice out to the government. If the government stresses humanitarianism and would not haggle over the past, I believe I'll be given the chances of going back.
Q: Will the chances be higher or lower if there is a change of federal administration?
A: I don't know what kind of new government it will be, but whatever it is, it should give due consideration to humanitarian requests.
No regret
Q: If you could turn back time, would you still insist on communism and the armed struggle? Do you still believe in communism today?
A: My faith towards communism has never swayed the least. It is normal to come across setbacks in the course of our advances, and if I could turn back time, I would most definitely choose to walk down the same path.
Q: Some of your family members are still in the hometown, and their lives have been somewhat affected by your involvement in the communist party. Do you have anything to say to them? Are you going to offer your apology?
A: If I have the chances of seeing them, I will first see how my activities have affected their lives. If my activities have inconvenienced them, then I would apologise.
But if they don't feel this way, then why should I apologise?
Will leave if family is inconvenienced
Q: Other than offering prayers to your ancestors after getting back to your hometown, do you wish to enjoy family togetherness in the remaining years of your life? Do you feel sorry for yourself having to beg the government so hard all these years just to let you go back?
A: Actually I'm not feeling sad, only sorry that I'm not given the opportunity of going back. I will fight for such an opportunity in my remaining years.
I have no idea whether I will succeed, but I'll definitely fight hard for it. My son and daughter are doing well now, and have paid me a visit here. This shouldn't be too much a problem.
Q: You not only wish to go back to visit your family, you also hope to be buried there some day. Will you still leave the country again?
A: If my return has inconvenienced my family, I will choose to leave in order not to burden them any further.
But if my return does not bring them too much trouble, I think I would like to spend my remaining years with my family, as my age is really catching up.
Regrets Muhyiddin's "shut door" response
Q: Deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin has said "the door for you to come back to Malaysia has shut," meaning it is no longer possible for the government to let you go back. What would you like to say about this?
A: I could only feel sorry that he has come out with such a response, as such a response cannot solve our problems.
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