Wllile peal)le

may not agee \aith llis

ta being a Mdlajatl
politics
ot llis metlfitls, Cllin Peng s cldinl
natianallst mqt fierit same cansiderctian
-{.".
The lgendary Chin Peng, lhe
,"fi:
Britkh Empiret most wanted
*i1
man duintMalaya't
"
:E
undeclared warwith the
F;
communirtr, finally brcaks hit
,*
rilen(e by publishing
his lon&
awaited memoits. CHEAH
BOON XIIEI{C tums the pages
and digcoveB a mine
of information and revelationt
aboutthis inhituing man, his
(omrades
and their cause.
I
N Arin .hia tuns My lide o.IHrlbry h 5
I
engro{f .rdi d,i d+tui ri v. mem
Ior Chi n Perx rrul the nory oJ tr\ | k
s a mmnuDf ud g0eftilra h:dei
adnr 6 to n:kng mny f:bsr. mFEter
On lee illeng,the Tunku, Dent X]ao
peng
and otheB
r,EE MeD: ftal I4e Lee Ten
rl.ra_
defen.. h etrec! dF Tdnhr
;il;1i",;':'.i,*l1
=
;1X"r:;lil'i;*
r:i
!#;rin" fr
ir$F,lii#irl
lili!;1*""1"1:.#
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i*f,tsir?"*ffT,
rl ouo dd. rnme n
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; ? reeL ,rj , - r.
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-
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llq
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tiq{N"i1#id'
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i:i'i";rn#*
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;-i,ri'*$j#.
t 3l
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:iir'mru',*., -!I
r$yTH"#1;;
tr!:.Jn+j,l1p5
- $:*J+ift,""-
',i#h=:{'#j;
G.
jrfXmlfl'.,:'*
:;fti1"'T,Tl'#*'*.
Le&.nc
lm:",S;;;**
1iqffffir'
Ilr#3"trt]ii
Bnss' womr edmcyFc : ; Raot b. Denh- d
rd!.se aw4oft in
r om.d hr Lrr silgapoF
gTlll:,j9.T.:-1li:_^_,_..
.
p*,niqfeK"_y*.h:d onba r$l d^m i nl s
p*
nG;;i ;
y;l :J
nedoFel r rdur n MatA.Asrse ( Fqu-red
turr
"ch.n@.ul no
b6ordel
ngse adD{)M bF,Bngs)vr ft:6 dn Cxn& soi . i Mud be red d]f,i o.L ror
4drftr- r"!!racn turhr Dl rtrby' u
h. dB0 b c Mh.5 h) tm;y a6 GF .nd
kneErsrG?l d
temp. hrt.n-sdd Lm Andun rl Dm(tu he hl \m6 Rd ;
i mre.sod who wrri ohed i Lhel ne
tBdi JB\,x! a:i d
v tu
qd
$nc\-
r",i-r.,
^*' *'-- '... --",",- -,,
*ilgSi..9s']-Y1,"a-^
^
"
drftr
-
|
"!!racn
tu lnr Dlrtr by'u h. d40 b c Mh.5 h) tm;y a6 GF .nd
kneErsrG?l d
l emp. hft.n-sdd Lm Andun rl Dm(tu he hl \m6 Rd ;
i mre.god who wrri ohed i Lhel ne
tBdi JB\,x! a:i d
v tu
qd
$nc\-
F|rng6;i
@|Ed\bd)
rDrdfDddpdntunrdtul eds{by
ddFpurhr4EdbrodGcl uopro
' nu k13r d sbjM rMn who sejz.d rh" dys,.N.r$q Dl r 5w chon. lneleH
m@Jotu tur |ne @mui $ oreRn r dr Sqdi spm
qi el
mrstmdfl anoI
B FsT.lks on ' Pens vrs oqty.re
oc orirm-rn oom"tm no-,ri. ii"
rllM tud D:Jlad hwityFd rheBibr! ftjiuchw bmdreis
_le.
ed Donini
_
fl $.brsi\ of Fv Bilru protue
b rntr bia tu rnft o,M ft ib^. No!h;;;i"l
had a FwJd oftzs0,000 (shits dot-
r.s) on rns head, he apped m ihis
book d a lmple wam he.fted
pd
sonarity who softk with ? rcne ot
Hn,pproach he says is "nefthera
oo;stof ,mFtory" but to,unde!
sEnd how beliefs are tomed and how
.onnids cd sft and run unabated .
when it comes ro the cpM! .6 ot
asas'nahDns trrd ain.d viot.n.e he is
extumery dr*ive, $d he indtrk$ in
"Pmpagandisb
have .laimed I brllted
'ep.nd to have L\mm our of the cPM
pspre who were noi even membe^ of
bP Ptrfy t0 have ordeEd the exedtioE
ol drose who oppo*d me As:
j n,
bsP
cntia trre likely to .ondude dEr tlle
ierr{in.ism hs .ome witn rhe hetD of
hddsEht some ofthe moEl
ttrdqeftents
-ory apped to be' pori ti al l y.dned Bur
L\Em E lisk doubr dur chn Penc h will
ing ro ber responsibitiry for the ahou
i ds oflives lon rd e.nfi.ed ii .hr
History,
according
to
.Dmmunist mvement nd its rned
chrn Pens s sxirmely ieadabk book is
probrblv
based on earlir dutu that he
had Miten in canbem rd in Binclok
md tlaadyai where he had ftr:d 10 ,fter
the .ommunists rmed shrs:le ended in
19a9 otreE:n imdel! mosive an.lvsis
olwhy &d how the mmmunst
isur
Ar rose6 i. ihe insuGencj/ s4 drin
PEns explatu in th foreword rhir the
.ommun$tndeoftnPEn{send$oN
had tobe tol d However heRJi :rd h;
.ould dot Fly only on hk r@lldioE,
but needed to lmk at vrious soures,
ncludins d<lasitied omorl imrds of
unat wa de.idd and odercd n the .DF
ndoF of power in Kurh lumour dd
Londotr lt w$ mpotuni thn I iemin
sdspason{e*rnyhuruf, bi i g
@!rd be i i dr.
oEdi cmem h:dbEen
3on ong soon Hu: in o.tober 1924 in
sitawd, Pd:l drin Pengjoined the
(
andsrj i ep:nf rrhe:seof r5,i d ws
thecoml n nP:fryotMi ayd
j
(ctM)5*d3a
een{4 n5 tuqh
i{F:H"Jil:,:,:*TL
6ilTT{
a1;x[':'l'.ri]:::'*:1""
-
l&
#$:t"iffi:r:i[I*:';eii," l/(-
shsglq Tnis w$ ineuhble. he eli u
ws a "wr" for nnortrl indepndena
while paole
say not aFee uirh his
pohtic or his methods, chrn Pens s daim
t0 being a M:layan mnoM[$ tuy me.i
5ome conld.ratdn: be .ftidv .onsideE
tnebmkssryk i nDf.obl y that ofi he
.olbboEbs II wdd rd Nom:
MnanDr, a husband aDd ule hhu
iqn captors wcll the viws and
PL]BLE
llPd
naster
nin;
It is iranic that I should be \eithont the caun\
for
which t \',/as
fiarc thsn willing to die
-
cnj, Pag o, ftis en"nt erile
neasues to rmid enemy iilitary
Potb.:l re:hies sn h t home B!
1955 the winds of.hange iere
blowing shongly in Maliy. P0litil
indeDendene wd oning. Tne
Umio Mc MIcAIide P.dr hrd
wm a landdid," victory in the 19s5
smtral
defro[ sc6b,ns
5r ofdre
52 lonBfi f:ts b lne Legjslabve
CouFil and had begu demindins
indeotndence lt h:d also oflertd
mne$y e .oimudf nsllgms
who wm {ifing b lay dom th.ir
{"r"!
f " \
t-t'
beralse ir holakd d,m fton tneir f@d
suDDljeF, dre bulk of chin6e squrteG
lMng on rhe junsle fiinses *1ro 8er
laes'tlEt cme under govement @t'
on tne M.l.ytrn Emr:en y,:adevalu-
atirg Edy inte.pFbbos on its ong's,
cnin Peng n:kes the st2.dmg dtrdsue
thai $e hlling of thE Europe& 6bte
ma.:gss in sungri srput, Perak onjune
16,19,13, by comunist demma Iong
He says th* neider he nor d'e crl"rr
killings It wa o'1y alier the Bdtish
truthoft6 dedded a s6te of Emsency
following the murdeE thri me cPt{
"rddeed, ifl had h:d nJ way, the
kilings trt sungei siput would neva h:w
blen ola@.lhev res'rlbd fton oreF
enduai:fl lor ftvenge .t $e lml ldel
.oupred sith: sno6 b.k of .omand
chn Peng firnher .laim i\at the decb
ftrion of the heeency save dle psy.hc
losicl :dvtrnb3E to th. Bdish dd the
srqe, siput incident tlnew dre aretully
laid pld( tur : ftmmufir rp.i5ins into
dis.n4 He turuelr wa rcsring in a mn-
ins bd3lldw at Kdpa Per.k whn th.
p.lice, {tjos on r tip{fi Fom d
"l have $metihes rcfleded on how
many things muld hM bned od had I
noi ben 20 sdnds anead df the raiding
party at rhe l(mpe bunsaloq'he sayr.
"Unqoestiombly I wuld hav had a kry
on lne sssimtion ofst Henry
Cuner th Bribsh Hisn comi$iore( on
Feb 7, 19s2, chin Psg .onnm that it
.om i hb tue.rdwd.n+nd!{l l .d
.\e Dsp^ ol i nFl t)n N"nd
clnn Peng $ys dEt when nM drthe
;;.:,i. ndn dE sn[sh c.v.,*.",
dc rn r' drh Nncre.mp i w&
Dno b 4debcno" e nodent rnived at hls junre cmp itwd
s@ted wi6l "the sitene of m'ement-.
#:1 f9-.+^",,r1"j..,,:1.i1r"*'-
member siew Mr who wde on patul
on the cap rcd io Fraslr Hill io dre
Palidg hrgNands who dreY .ha.@d
upon CumeYs L4e med @nvov
wife ame ort Dr 6'e d b divet tlre
sd rd "inaresingly Mlated fsm dt
Min v!@ {poplet
slppon gFuDt by dr
Bu5 PL:n, rufrednsdl tl i bbns tud
+ort.$ .nd .ontinuaiy udelt:htrs
Chin Pery a.knosledges bankly
-
ihii dr rommunin Fdv lo.w tlEt
_ onEctins thet iegments thFush
oui dt M:laym
Penins'n,,
a'eY
derjded to neptirt with L\e
Allian.e sovmt
to en'r the
Enrergen.y. fte .onmunFb d.$er
'
ately wantd p{e, bui on hdn
Hjs trumD ord was rhat the crM mrld
.erse a hosiibtier 3nd lay down is ams
iftne Alliance sov.Imdt
could obbin
Tte dmp cld iMeed sfld b
chin Pmg ieclr: "Ar nr or optinam
L d-nd nD{R.nm_ho"Lo,
n.,;a,ii..ir.rn"n *"tr
"uovo (
edulN bu rF
"dd"d
"Ilere r{
'Iurl{u
leaned loNzJd Dd eid lsth a
'Ihrs
-uexpctd
sucs had rome in
prcm&? when | @me bet frdm Enghnd
n' . uel Do
pd- .
t u h" d. or e n
i i r skMgl r . b nsusqLh m" ,
1
rols ed JD:
'rhi
b" ns lne w s
"
"n
Iq
folMed uD: Th]t beins the @ we can
wasb.*iby".oodssresrerEbhem6" sraichLrw;y tup our ioshriris dd also
its sEussle U6 hopele$ and n@mg
'-*-
an!d ur es it ould ty to saze the
th lewre lood oiis and the .rin
-
*nt..mmu.iddons blrkout in
At tne pra blk held in Baling,
Kedah, m De. 23 and 29, I955, clnn
Peng'5 shbgy ffi to g:in r tmtnold
in $e independence trtk5 tnat Ne
Allian.e Coremment intended to
.ondud with th. Bnbah covenlmt
in Feb@ry 1956 by pl.yils a "hdp
Grd.l rri scme on the l dt dav.ft {
dre sowmmt sidq headed by L\en
cnieif Ministr ortu Prine Minisb.)
Do
W1t
cansider Ctiin ieng an Llfiepentant \lil1ai11 or d lxisgldtled l]oaionlltsf7 5 hoLtld he rcmain
in exile or be allol'\ed tt' reftifi? Seid
youf xiei,1]s io sfofi]dg@ffiestor'com m]
-*
Conversations
in Canberra
r N.l1 RME!4iED chln Peng sevml timA
| ' n canbera n 1999i ttheAsr:l nn
*
l N:hon:l !frwBrty rANLr
whekhe
*' -
was r unti nc I l l owatdtRe$rd]
s.hool ofPaaifr. rnd Aeu HistoM Chin
Pene ws therc to Mite his nemo$
'Ihe
AMi htrd mvibd hin there. with the
apprNrl ol de Austr:lian MnsLl of
FoEin Affats rft.r r tiD he inade s
Loid;tr thtrt was wddv aw{ed bv tne
rie was rrkcd to delikr a blk to INU
undelgnduab nudens on w]lyi
bGmeaconmuni n' andl atel topFseni
r tuGday semEi to which 2s
p{sos,
indudins myselfand othu mDsdy ac_
demriaB were invited our rcles. the
o'Fr Eer erp ned to 6 wd 'o
Pod
lris
communist Party orMalavat
{cPM)
rcles
LooLns ba.( I dnnk ue bok olr bsk
mKh b serioude w. wdted rnm b
wib a
good,
.omPEhennve memoi.
Poor chin Pena wE
snlled
bm lor Mo
whole d,ys. At tne end of a'e se.ond dav.
he w6 nDi ohly exnauned, bur vnibu irj
ded HB f&e had onsd red. and tus
voia wa tiailins off weakly. It sd the
kind ol
griling thn he would have been
subreded to by ine p.li{e hrd he Kepted
dE :mnestv tefls ofieFd by Tuix!
Aidd R:hnan in the B,ling pea.e Elk in
19t5. fte editd
prtreeni.gs ord'is me!
ins rft sho'dy to be
published b'y the
bter, in the Drivate
inteMews he
6$ted mq I wd betel able b ase$
tum {do* Erge ue wr hrei dl y:J
l aushed ed' l y Havi ns Rn l ri r p mrc, In
the mwsraDes trfter dt Haadyai Pera
rffds iir i933. I drotrsht he had .ged
dd lmked moE like a busne$nrr
He told me he srneEd lion a hed
psblem rnd hypeftnsior Throusnout
dE DrEeedinsr
aD'l in ihe pnvats inter
u.ws he reneded ih. imEq. that some
Bribsh ofrci:ls haE presented ofhim:
)0fr 1@ketr
qui el wrth :
snde
Ifun
Hen' d n l xsdsL,ngs
qth
$e Bnhsh
thev krew him a r Bd who always kePt
his sod. Many oithem hxned hin with
thEn Iv6. NewsD.DeE .illed him
'Bnbint
mo$ tostd
perilla".lni! wrs
why Eiicin ,wlded lun Mo mirhry
nedals .nd an oder of the Bnhsh Entrc
H! ree:led to ne why he had decided
to lave foi Beiiiu in 1960 Tk cPM h:d
doded to end its trmed shggle. lt ws
evea .onkmpbEnc si ndi ns uD rl re pady
fte Mtrl tryr:l thonr 4dLd noi bow
how .lose they weE to vjdory, he srd.
Tnis vis matr dd Lhe rr{.Ly.n
Emeqency had su(eeded in almost de.i
H! rlio revqted seveEl issues to ie
shi.n I obserye he did rct indude in his
menons:'ft. role ot dt communists
lnited front 'n siAgapore, beken b.
CPM\ Gdr$ and La I(m Yew s People\
A.tion Pany, is not a happy episode in hk
Althoush t t a su.es $orY ror Lhe
.ommunrts LieEce they went on to lom
a omud$ nDni
govtrment
jtr
whrh
manv ortnen Gdre5 were given polihcl
appoinhents by Lee. su.h as p.liticl se.
rchdes and
prliamenbry sc.eEnes.
and dom without !\e approval dl the
consequenrl y Fi nschu:ngPi the mi n
dAoibed bv LeP Kum Yeu d t[e "Prer"
Ghon
for
Dlenipnbf,tiaryl
h nd men
ri .nd:t arl n h* menons Nei i he' i s
thue :ny mention of Lim chin sioig, tne
The only Sjngaport leftwing so.iat's
mentioned rtr tne book.Ie Domini.
Putlruchr:ry md his brotherlrmes md Dr
ree tiew choh :[ tnqlish+duGted lead
e6 ordE Bdisan So.iah
party. NatuFlry
or.ou*e Lee hnsetr does not @mE out
lavouGbly By cnE{n m,DNlolEllc
-i#ti1:,,i**,*,*"*-
The end of the drmed struggle
fddiffi,l;#dt
i:::-:!-'isslri,liril;
,!
E $;:i.l,i:'ii:;$,ili;::ji"::1 H:#1'#:*.l't"i':9s,:
le57.thsoninuttsu2iftd,or Yr'-,,'
trTJ;ll,?.11".,:H';:,il':"i:n
##jsfifi?:,#"Jr#
rltH*#ru}*i"
l',T#i"*iligir#*i;i'#ffifi,irr?:;',*ffHr'j:'I
ffi:"'tr#iil;;:"-"
drsdrnursqih,hm$bed
lulrswnenntherGdroiiLh
-"*-*-"
*-
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,'Ti'i"*a"i*.""-"
lf"[f'{S*i,i?g:l?f"*
cbi*lcu,tua,Rdo,uiontnai
AmostuFns
-
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!;;n!aqi+.!3.i'-s.ltlYi;
,*jtfrllj.i*::l:
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i#-*i#m"tili i#.#dti;"#.'
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mlr,lr-*tm,+
ffi
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ffiq-
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H;lkffixlHJff*"
ruff;,T{i"i"J-r
: ffi"ffi*r'
*tF
frh";flm, mi##g,rUr,r.
{ould lqE ftr BdJiE b @!enE Bdring6trm l9m bu se $m
; i : 6; ; ; ! N- f f t - .
or w- cpv
"
r sss. mer
" . a. " . v
; ; . e- sr onAns! t ur ht uj hs
com $d wmond' l od l 4r i 4r or ' ' ub
H"*;{H"ffiffi;
"ilH11**U,n:l;'-"*'
m""l"tl;:
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a'#,n ;;;.Ai,.,"
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B6roi|"t",j,ji*""""""
,**,**.l|iffElf;Ti
^',l"jffr#ffit,#1ffi,
Ontr PErgr 3by in
lei'os
or gls * dt ['talavsDrlhaj bord
:E;l$s*qT":{dd*":ff,"" **lg'*rim".mg
i"fit"l1**,*"",*.*-
r#*tns,ff"'il*1. Hl"ll"4*tfl'##lffiii.
;' wlEtr
;Fm
rFhR me fiom ;ft; sd d* rffi ol mmr' h
6 thelhr td Malalbd
3dd_
velii4 o' Us Elxtrirboi to
suv ftft n r937.nd l $116!6. Gnturo l h.n.nd
trr;- Mlvdeolr,{o6.ial5E$ond.d
at d!. eFmmv bld.t r hoel
'
fte i l mtur eq @l v *nEd rHddv.i ,o' i nP.nctnffr
d