PUTRAJAYA, May 27 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian government will not allow former Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) leader Chin Peng to reside in the country.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the return of the former terrorist would lead to dissatisfaction among the people, especially those who fought the communists and families who lost their loved ones during the CPM's revolt from 1948 to 1981 (known as the Emergency).
Najib said this to reporters at his office at the Perdana Putra building here today.
He was asked to comment on the call by Penang Gerakan chairman Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan for the government to allow Chin Peng to return to Malaysia.
According to Teng, Chin Peng, who is now domiciled in Thailand, no longer posed a threat and as such the government should consider allowing him to return on humanitarian grounds.
The request by Teng drew flak from many quarters, including Defence Minister Datuk Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who described it as insensitive to present and former members of the security forces and families of those who lost their loved ones to the communists during the Emergency.
In other developments, commenting on the Internal Security Act detention of Jemaah Islamiah (JI) leader Mas Selamat Kastari, Najib said the suspect would be held at the Kamunting ISA detention camp for two years to enable the authorities to gain more information on the terrorist network.
He said Mas Selamat's detention was justified as he posed a threat to the security of Malaysia and Singapore.
He added that the security authorities of both countries were in contact on the matter and that Singapore too would have taken similar action had he been in the republic.
Mas Selamat, who escaped from a Singapore prison over a year ago, was captured at a remote village near Skudai in Johor last month.
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