November 30, 2009 19:50 PM

Chin Peng Can't Recall Why Baling Talks Failed

By D. Arul Rajoo HATYAI, Nov 30 (Bernama) -- It was not easy for Chin Peng, the former Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) supremo, to find an answer when asked why the infamous 1955 Baling Talks had failed.

The 85-year-old former guerilla said he could not recall as it happened some 54 years ago, which also was the last time he set foot on Malaysian soil.

To a question whether he regretted his past actions or wanted to apologise for them, Chin Peng paused for a while, before answering, "if I say regret, some people will interpret in a different way".

"But if those innocent people were really killed by us, wrongly killed by us, of course I will," he said.

Chin Peng was in town for a reunion of former comrades in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the historic peace accord signed between the CPM and the governments of Malaysia and Thailand in 1989.

When the then Malayan federal government declared amnesty to the communists on Sept 8, 1955, only a few surrendered.

Chin Peng, then about 31 years old, in realising that the armed conflict had not brought any progress, sought a referendum.

The peace talks then took place at a school in Baling on Dec 28 and 29. CPM was represented by Chin Peng, Rashid Maidin, a senior member of the party, and Chen Tien, Chin Peng's second-in-command.

The federal government was represented by Tunku Abdul Rahman, the country's first prime minister who was then chief minister, MCA president Tun Sir Tan Cheng Lock, Singapore chief minister David Marshall and Too Joon Hing, the assistant minister of education.

At the talks, it was reported that Chin Peng asked Tunku to explain the actual meaning of "loyalty to Malaya".

Tunku stated that one of the things that Malayans expected was that the communists should give up their communist activities and that loyalty to Malaya would include acceptance of the position of the Malay Rulers and agreement to uphold their dignity.

Tan said that if a man wanted to live in Malaya, he should assume the responsibilities and duties of a good citizen while Marshall defined loyalty as "loyalty to the government of the day, and loyalty to the constitutional processes in bringing about such changes for the welfare of the people".

When asked by Chin Peng by what other means the emergency could be ended, Tunku said the insurgents give up their communist activities and prove themselves loyal to the country.

Tunku also reiterated that the federal government was not prepared to recognise the CPM because communist activities in the country had been associated with various atrocities and violence.

"We want to extract a promise from you that you will not carry on your activities, which we say are not loyal to Malaya and are prejudicial to the interests of Malaya and Malayans. We will want you to sign a declaration to that effect," Tunku had said.

It was reported that Chin Peng refused to accept this and the talks broke down.

The communist fighter considered surrender a humiliation and reportedly said, "If you demand our surrender, we would prefer to fight to the last humiliation. If you demand our surrender, we would prefer to fight to the last man."

Before the talks ended, Tunku appealed to Chin Peng to think of the general welfare of the people and if the communists were prepared to show any change of attitude, they should not consider their pride at the next meeting.

It was reported that another meeting was scheduled for November 1957 but it did not take place as Chin Peng still maintained his principle of not surrendering.

-- BERNAMA

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