Govt has never allowed Chin Peng's ashes to be brought home to Malaysia - Muhyiddin

BANGKOK, Nov 27 -- The government has never allowed the ashes of former Communist Party of Malaysia (CPM) leader, Chin Peng, to be brought home to Malaysia, said Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Based on the guidelines on bringing back and taking out the ashes of someone, a family member or anyone at all must inform the Royal Malaysian Customs Department.

“The question is whether the party concerned had informed the matter or had smuggled the body into the country without the knowledge of the authorities.

“What is certain is that we never knew at all (Chin Peng’s ashes were brought home to Malaysia). We only came to know about it after the family or friend had made a statement,” he told Bernama, here today.

 He said several quarters had lodged a police report and the matter would be investigated in detail and appropriate action would be taken.

“We don’t want the issue to be raised again and create anger especially to the family of victims of communist violence, either directly through Chin Peng or the communist movement during the emergency period before,” he said.

Muhyiddin is here to attend the 13th ASEAN Ministers Meeting on Cross-Border Crime (AMMTC) and related meetings.

Yesterday, the media reported that the ashes of Chin Peng or his real name, Ong Boon Hua had been brought home to Malaysia on Sept 16 this year and thrown into the sea near Lumut, Perak and in the jungles in Titiwangsa Range without any memorial or grave.

The ashes of the former PKM leader was reported to have arrived in Ipoh, Perak on Sept 16 this year and a memorial held on the same day was attended by 150 individuals.

Chin Peng who was born in Sitiawan, Perak died in a hospital in Bangkok in 2013 at the age of 89.

The government at that time had prohibited his body or even his ashes to be brought home to Malaysia for burial.

-- BERNAMA