PETALING JAYA, SEPT 17- Though he was once shot by members of Malayan Communist Party (CPM), former police special branch deputy director Yuen Yuet Leng did not have a grouse against its long time ideological enemy Chin Peng when the latter passed away yesterday.
In fact, amid loud government order calling for a ban of Chin’s remains to return Malaysia, Yuen appealed for the government to manifest its generosity and kindness.
He told Sin Chew Daily that the government should allow the family of Chin to bring back his remains for burial as to fulfill Chin’s last wish of coming home.
“For better understanding of each other, please bury hatchet. Let’s reconcile the misunderstanding in the past,” he said.
However, he said he understands that it is highly impossible for the government to grant such permission, considering that the Umno election is fast approaching and the current political scenarios.
“But it will be the most surprising decision if the government can reconsider Chin’s appeal,” he was quoted of saying.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak said the government will not consider any request from the family of Chin Peng to bring back his remains, because of the black history he had created.
“Furthermore, he is not a citizen of Malaysia. He did not want to be a Malaysian, so we don’t have any ties with him,” Najib has said.
A poem in remembrance
Following that, Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar said all border checkpoints are being watched to ensure Chin’s remains is not smuggled in.
Yuen was also the former Sarawak police chief. He was shot in the chest by CPM members in Grik, Perak in 1951.
He has penned a poem in remembrance of Yuen.
“In war we were longstanding ideological enemies,
With negotiated peace, we were mutually more respectful and understanding of our once conflicting stands,
With death now, I can only say rest in peace, my friend,
Condolences to the family.”
Chin passed away at the age of 90 in a Bangkok hospital yesterday morning.
Meanwhile, DAP’s Segambut parliamentarian Lim Lip Eng has questioned the time and resources to be spent by the police force to closely monitor all the border checkpoints.
“I request IGP to furnish details on the types of measures to identify whether the ashes belong to Chin and the additional cost incurred.
“I also would like to question the duration of the enforcement, and whether it is a blanket ban on all types of ashes from now on,” he said in a statement today.
