Dr M: Govt should stand by decision on Chin Peng

(Bernama) – Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the government should stand by its decision not to allow Chin Peng to return to the country.

He said the government must understand the feelings of the people who would not be happy if the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) leader was allowed to return.

“Obviously a lot of people are not happy, so why make other people unhappy? If they are not happy, leave it there,” he told reporters after attending an essay prize-giving ceremony at the Perdana Leadership Foundation here yesterday.

He was commenting on calls to allow Chin Peng to return, which was first made by Penang Gerakan chairman Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan, saying that he should be allowed to return on humanitarian grounds as he was no longer a security threat, and backed by several opposition leaders.

Asked whether other parties should not press the government to change the decision, Dr Mahathir said the freedom of speech allowed people to say what they liked but it was up to the government to decide.

Asked to comment on the 45% approval rating for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, he said it was good.

A recent survey by the Merdeka Centre for Opinion Research showed that 45% of voters from Peninsular Malaysia were satisfied with the performance of Najib.