INTERVIEW | Earlier this month, controversy arose when a memorial event was held in Kajang to commemorate 30 years since the signing of the Hat Yai Peace Accord, which ended the communist insurgency in Malaya.

Among those who spoke out was Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who questioned why a memorial needed to be held and expressed his concerns about it.

However, Hat Yai Peace Coalition chairperson Indrajaya Abdullah (photo, above) questioned why the government would not want to commemorate its own peace treaty.

Speaking to Malaysiakini at Kampung Chulaborn Patana 12 in the Sukhirin district of Southern Thailand recently, the former Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) member asked if Muhyiddin was against the accord.

"Does he (Muhyiddin) feel regret or something? Or does he feel there is no need for this treaty or that the war should still be going on?

"If there was no peace accord in 1989, how many more lives would have lost, how much more money wasted?" he said.

Indrajaya also questioned the police probe into the memorials and allegations of an attempt to revive communism.

The event in Kajang on Dec 1, had been preceded by news that former CPM secretary-general Chin Peng's ashes had been brought back to Malaysia.

The day after the memorial in Kajang, another event to commemorate the peace treaty was also held in Hat Yai.

For Indrajaya, the signing of the peace accord was historically significant and benefited everyone.

"I feel those who benefited from the accord were the government and the people. Shouldn't this be remembered?" he asked.

He said Thailand, which jointly signed the accord with Malaysia and the CPM, had no problem sending generals and senators to attend the memorial in Hat Yai on Dec 2.

Besides ending the communist insurgency, the Hat Yai accord also allowed for communists living in exile in Thailand to return to Malaysia.

However, many CPM members remained in Thailand, including senior party leaders Chin Peng, Abdullah CD and Rashid Maidin.

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