Government denies reneging on peace deal with CPM
(Bernama) – The Home Ministry today refuted claims by some quarters that the government had reneged on its peace agreement with the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) signed on December 2, 1989.
Its deputy minister Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop said 442 ex-CPM members applied to return to Malaysia, but only 406 attended the interviews and fulfilled the conditions to be allowed to return.
“Chin Peng or his real name, Ong Boon Hwa, had submitted his application a day before the application period closed, but he did not attend the interview fixed for October 31, 1992.
“After that he never submitted a new application but instead used the court to determine the status of his citizenship. His action clearly showed that he failed to abide by the conditions stipulated in the peace agreement and did not obey the laws of the country as required,” he told a news conference here, today.
According to the records, in his bid to return to Malaysia, Chin Peng had filed to the court five affidavits between March 4 and April 4, 2005.
Abu Seman said in the case of Chin Peng, the Home Ministry had remained firm and would not compromise as he was not a hero who should be honoured.
Earlier, Abu Seman had chaired the meeting of the main committee for the awareness campaign against ‘ah long’ or loan sharks.
He said a working committee was set up under this main committee to ensure continuity of the campaign and enforcement of the law against loan sharks.
Abu Seman said in the effort to stamp out ah long activities, the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001 was used, which provided for a heavy fine of up to RM5 million or jail term of up to five years, or both if convicted.
“Before this, those found guilty were sentenced under the Money Lenders Act 1951, which provides for a fine of not less than RM20,000 and not more than RM100,000 or a jail term of not more than five years, or both.”
He said so far, five ah long cases were still under investigation, including the latest in which three men were heavily chained at their neck and legs to the walls of a room which was turned into a lock-up in a vacant shoplot by ah long after the three failed to pay their debts.
