CPM – “help dismantled old order…but played no part in building the new”

In a month when Malaysians are celebrating the 48th National Day, culminating in the Malaysia Day celebrations on September 16, I find it very sad to read in today’s newspapers continuing headlines and reports like “Boleh mengundang 13 Mei”, “Saya berdosa jika akui Chin Peng – Ghazali” and ‘Henry anggap Chin Peng musuh Negara” in the Utusan Malaysia and “’Pengkhianat jika anggap Chin Peng pejuang kemerdekaan’” in Berita Harian quoting former Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Musa Hitam, former Armed Forces Chief Tan Sri Jeneral (B) Mohd. Ghazali Seth and former Kuala Lumpur Police Chief Datuk Henry Chin, raising temperatures which should not be raised during the National Day Month celebrations.

DAP had already rebutted and denied the two allegations that it belittled Tunku Abdul Rahman as Bapa Merdeka and Bapa Malaysia and that it glorified CPM secretary-general Chin Peng.

Ronnie Liu had admitted that he could have expressed himself in a better manner, making two points in his second statement, viz:

• He accepts Tunku as Bapa Merdeka but stresses that Independence was achieved not only by UMNO but also by other Malaysians, including non-Malays and Malays not in UMNO; and
• He never recognized Chin Peng “as the real fighter for independence”.

Ronnie’s first statement must therefore be read in the light of his clarification in his second statement.

Ronnie’s reference to Chin Peng in his first statement was in the context that “the pressure mounted by the Malayan Communist Party led by Chin Peng” expedited the Merdeka time-table of the British colonialists – a historic fact which is virtually a truism.

I would agree with New Straits Times editorial yesterday “The unrest in history” which said: “But their (CPM) heroism is not celebrated, for despite the part they played in dismantling the old order, they were to play no part in building the new. And that, as with all roads less travelled, made all the difference.”


If Ronnie had made the mistake of not expressing himself clearly enough, he should be allowed to clarify himself.

For such a slip-up, Ronnie (and DAP) is paying a heavy price because of the media monopoly in the Malay press, radio and television.

Forty-eight years after Merdeka, in the information society, Malaysians must learn to conduct a public discourse with civility and rationality without emotionalism, the quick resort to the spectre of May 13 or threats to invoke one law or another.

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