Episode 6 of the Wawancara Hari Kebangsaan, David Teoh, Sharizal Sharaani, Elfie, Politics 101, Zukri Aksah, Emmanuel Joseph, Tauke Fooji, Zulhabri Supian, Rajan Rishyakaran, Ong Boon Keong and Fathi Aris Omar talk about the role Commies had played in shaping the history of Malaysia.
Shin : Can the Communists be considered as surrenderred, after the signing of Haadyai Peace Accord ? It was stated that the Communist members would be allowed to return, but many victims of their violent and terror acts opposed to it. How should the government decide ? Did the Communist play any role in gaining independence and national building ? If yes, please state.
Fathi Aris : It has been a sentimental and emotional issue – though I am not suggesting it is not valid one. The Government should allow the CPM veterans to return and there must be some of sort ‘national reconciliation’ process.
Some countries form ‘national truth and reconciliation commission’, for instance East Timor, South Africa and Indonesia. So we should practice this one. The English colonialist power, just like the Japanese, has to bear their mistakes too – they should not have run away.
The 1985 Memali incident (the brutal killings and the subsequent arrest of villagers) must be included too. The Government has to compensate the loss in the incident. I agree, and strongly support, what our National Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) is doing – inquiry over human rights abuses.
Human rights violations and cruelties of the past are our national tragedies and we must admit it openly and correct it. We can not ignore it. People say “time heals” but we should facilitate the process of national healing, don’t let the time alone decide.
BK Ong : The Haadyai peace accord never mentioned the Communists to have `surrendered’. The PKM agreed by the accord to stop armed struggle -and to dissolve their organization. The deal is the government allow them to return -so they should fulfil their legal obligations. The opposition by certain groups should be seen as normal disagreements
which exist on various issues. The government did not stop Genting casino just because many religious people oppose it.
The PKM did play an important role to fight the British and the Japanese on the way of Malaya’s struggle for Independence. However the Cold War pitted them against the other nationalists and conservatives factions in Alliance who was granted Independence by the British. If not for the Cold War their contributions would be acknowledged. But it not too late to do it later, in the spirit of being objective and inclusive in understanding Malaysia’s common history.
Rajan : They experienced the terror of the Communist insurgency, yes. But
why aren’t many UMNO leaders aren’t in exile, but on the contrary, leading/led Malaysia after the 13th May incident?
Commies should be allowed back into Malaysia. They’re old man, what could they possibly do? Re-enact Bukit Kepong?
Habri : Ya, tetapi itu tidak pula bermakna peranan kerajaan Perikatan yang boleh bekerjasama dengan penjajah di perlekehkan begitu sahaja. Dalam masa kita mengakui sumbangan komunis di dalam mempercepatkan proses kemerdekaan, kita jangan pula menganggap kecil jasa dan sumbangan UMNO, MCA dan MIC.
Kerajaan seharusnya membenarkan bekas ahli-ahli komunis yang sudah insaf ini pulang ke tanah air dengan membuat proses rekonsilasasi seperti yang dilakukan di Timor Timur dan sebagainya, sedangkan nabi maafkan umat, takkan kita tidak boleh?
Tauke Fooji : I think the Communist have been punished enough. They should be allowed to return. Did the Japanese bar anyone from US to enter their land, and vice-versa? Why are we holding on to past grudges. The Communist fought bravely for their stand, no matter how it contradicted with us, they fought out of love for the country, not to take over this country for another nation. I think in a war, terror acts are made against each other. The British were terrorists too towards the communist. Anyway, it is a long forgotten story. Whether the Communist played a role is up to how we interpret the history.
]
From my reading, I think they played a significant role. First of all, they were the brave ones to fight against the Japanese, no one should deny that. They also fought against the British. This is a form of significant resistance against them, which must have demotivated their imperialistic aims. Furthermore, it could also accelerated the success of the Alliance to achieve Merdeka.
Emmanuel : Yes. The Communists gave us a reason to be united.It should be same way now, except instead of fighting Communists, we should be fighting people fromoutside trying to eat our country whole, economically and not ourselves. That would be a great binding factor.
Zukri : Perjanjian itu sendiri adalah perjanjian damai, bukan perjanjian menyerah diri, tiada istilah menyerah diri di sini. Dalam perjanjian damai ini, pihak Parti Komunis Malaya bersetuju untuk meletak senjata, dan mereka akan dibenarkan pulang ke tanahair. Memang kita lihat banyak tentangan bila timbul isu bekas pemimpin PKM seperti Chin Peng dan Shamsiah Fakeh mahu pulang ke sini, saya tidak salahkan rakyat, memang sengaja dibuat sebegitu, pensejarahan negara kita sentiasa berat sebelah, sentiasa mengherokan Umno dan BN, sedang pejuang-pejuang dari aliran lain, apalagi yang tidak sebulu dengan mereka sentiasa dianggap bangsat dan pengkhianat.
Apapun kesalahan yang pernah dibuat oleh PKM, rekod membuktikan bahawa mereka konsisten dalam mempertahankan prinsip menentang imperialis, mereka mengangkat senjata menentang dua penjajah, Jepun dan British, itu jasa mereka yang tidak boleh kita nafikan. Saudara boleh baca artikel saya yang bertajuk “Chin Peng dan Patriotisme Yang Kabur” untuk penerangan yang lebih lanjut.
Elfie : The Communists have been defeated in 1990 and beyond: they are an ideological history which has no relevance in the 21st century.
Poli : The communists’ “fight” for our independence is over-rated. The main objective of their fight was to turn Malaya, then Malaysia, into a communist state. The commies also knew how to paly divide-and-conquer and that was exactly what they tried to do. If the Haadyai Accord granted ex-commies the right to return, so be it. For the record, I won’t be attending any Welcome Home parade 
Sharizal : The government should decide what is best for the majority.
The communist played a role as the common enemy then, and any nation will stand united to fight a common enemy.
David : The current government should do what is in the best interests of the people they serve and not be bogged down by history.
