Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar has also rejected the request to bring back Chin Peng's ashes to Malaysia.

NONE Khairy said Chin Peng ( left ) never took up the offer to return to Malaysia after the ceasefire agreement between the government and the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) was signed in 1989.

Defending the government's stand, he also said that the former CPM secretary-general never became a Malaysian citizen.

"No, I don't think so (when asked if Chin Peng's ashes should be allowed back) because I believe that he did not take up the offer to come back to Malaysia after the peace accord was signed.

"And I believe he never became a Malaysian citizen," Khairy told reporters.

The Umno Youth chief said bringing back Chin Peng’s ashes would be “extremely hurtful” to the memory of the servicemen, policemen, soldiers and civilians who had family members killed during the Emergency period.

“So, out of the respect for our servicemen, out of respect for Malaysians who were hurt, killed and maimed during the Emergency, I don’t believe his remains should be brought back,” he added.

Asked about MCA’s urging to the government to honour the Hatyai Peace Agreement by allowing Chin Peng’s remains to be brought back, Khairy maintained his stand, saying it was up to MCA “to say whatever they want”.

Chin Peng, born Ong Boon Hua in 1924, was pronounced dead at 6.20am on Monday in Bangkok. Coincidentally, Monday was Malaysia Day.

According to one of his comrades, Chin Peng  had always hoped that he would be buried at his birthplace in Sitiawan, Perak.

Some communists allowed back

shamsiah fakeh Since the Malaysian government signed the agreement with CPM in 1989, some communists such as Shamsiah Fakeh ( left ) had been allowed back into the country.

However many others, like Rashid Maidin and Abdullah CD, and Chin Peng, were denied entry despite the peace agreement.

Chin Peng had once submitted to the Federal Court that he was born in Sitiawan in October 1924 and never had his citizenship revoked, nor was he banished from the country.

He claimed that his birth certificate was lost when he tried to escape from the authorities during the Emergency period.

Meanwhile, asked about the proposal by the Malay Chamber of Commerce Malaysia (DPMM) for setting up a bank specifically for bumiputeras , Khairy did not reject the idea but stressed that the existing financial institutions were sufficient for bumiputeras to apply for loans.

“I believe the existing financial institutions, especially the existing government financial institutions, provide quite a lot of loans to the bumiputera entrepreneurs already, so I believe that the current infrastructure is quite sufficient,” he said.

However, he added that he would get in touch with the chamber to understand its grouses.

Khairy refused to comment over the indefinite suspension by Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) against student activist Adam Adli, saying that he was not aware about the issue.

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