CP Saga continues... too

Look at the Chin Peng issue from different angles

Grey Yeoh | Jun 4, 09 4:54pm

I refer to the comment 'Chin Peng not forgiven'. The writer wrote: ‘What good is it to let Ong Boon Hua return to Sitiawan? We, Sitiawans don't want him. We may forgive him, but we have not forgotten what he had done.' I understand the writer's frustration and anger that is directed to Chin Peng, but I feel that the writer maybe under-informed on the topic of our country's first Emergency. He went on to complain about the torture and hardship that the people of Malayan endured. He said: ‘...all documented and factual. Try reading the book titled -‘The Malayan Emergency Revisited 1948-1960 A Pictorial History'. The attack on Bukit Kepong, Johor, on Feb 23, 1950 is a good one.' I would like to point out that yes, the first Malayan Emergency was very well-documented. But I would like to ask if he referred to all the documents, read all the books and research done on the Malayan Emergency, or just that one book? In my opinion, one has to look at the story from more than just one point of view before making statements like: ‘His (Chin Peng's) Perak 5th CPM Regiment were hardcore bandits and goons'. My plea to people like the writer is to go and look at other books or published research papers about the Emergency. A good start is the book 'War of the Running Dogs: The Malayan Emergency, 1948-1960' by Noel Barber'. If this isn't good enough, I guess the two books he should at least read are 'Alias Chin Peng: My Side of History', an eyewitness account from the man himself or 'Dialogues with Chin Peng', a transcript of an interview done with Chin Peng, at the Australian National University in Canberra in 1999, edited by CC Chin and Karl Hack. There are many other books, research papers and reports written by journalists, historians and people who studied the Malayan Emergency, and they do not pick sides to support. While these articles remain neutral, they provide a glimpse into our nation's history that our own education syllabus does not. Therefore, before letting emotions get a hold of our judgement, I would like to ask readers out there to first look at the Malayan Emergency and Chin Peng from a different light. Just from last paragraph of the writer's comment asking Chin Peng not to come back, 'Ong Boon Hua aka Chin Peng - Bu Yao Hui Lai. Wo Men Bu Xu Yao Ni (Don't come back, we don't need you).' I can immediately tell that the writer hasn't any inkling who Chin Peng really is. Chin Peng speaks and understands English very well. His interviews conducted with various international researchers are mostly in English. He was, after all, educated during the colonial era, and formerly wore an OBE (Order of the British Empire) from the British government before they withdrew the title quietly when the Emergency began.

Repost from: http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/105820