The “Butcher of Malaya”

A son of a bicycle shop owner Ong Boon Hua 85, left home at the raw age of sixteen and enrolled into Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) in 1940. He then changed his name to Chin Peng. When Japan invaded Malaya in December 1941, the teenager bore arms and waged a war against the Japanese Imperial Army. For that, he was awarded a war medal.

MCP bandits armed with M3 Carbines

However, he continued to wage an armed struggle after Japan surrendered on 15 August 1945. When the British came back, he waged an ‘underground’ war against the British colonial masters. For someone who spent the second half of his adolesence in the jungle fighting a guerilla war, many believed that he had became a war addict. Despite the MPAJA had to disband their armed unit and surrender their weapons, they secretly decided to held on to some. Then they as ‘Bintang Tiga’, started to terrorize Malayans, including locals. After three European planters were killed in Sungai Siput on 16 June 1948, a state of emergency was declared by the authorities. On the record, the CPM is now an enemy of the state and rakyat.

High Commissioner Sir Henry Gurney's final journey passing Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad

The terrorism waged by the Malayan Peoples’ Liberation Army (the armed unit of CPM) was then  intensified. British High Commissioner Sir Henry Gurney was assassinated near Frasers Hill on 6 October 1951. That made United Kingdom despatched a professional soldier, world war two veteran General Sir Gerald Templer to replace Sir Henry and wage the war against the communists terrorists. The lives of Malayams and the defense of the realm on a British colony is at stake in the eyes of these barbarics. A year earlier, CPM 10th Regiment brutally attacked the Bukit Kepong Police Station and massacred 22 Policemen and 4 non combattant civilians.

The martyrs of Bukit Kepong

By far, the atrocities that have been created under the watchful eyes of  Chin Peng as the Secretary General of the CPM rightfully earned the title ‘Butcher of Malaya”.

Rashid Maidin, Chin "Butcher of Malaya" Peng and Chen Tien representing Malayan Communist Party at Baling Talks, 28 Dec 1955 which they refused to surrender and lay down arms now that Britain agreed to allow Malayans to negoatiate for independence

After the first general elections held in 1955 and the Federation of Malaya Assembly formed a first democratically elected autonomous government, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra as the Chief Minister convinced Whitehall to negotiate with Malayans for independence. He asked to talk directly to the CPM in the effort to end the terrorism and sufferings that have plagued Malayans since ten years earlier. The Baling Talks was held on 28 December 1955. Hence, Chief Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman extended amnesty to Chin “Butcher of Malaya” Peng and his CPM bandits with the condition that they lay down their arms, give up their armed struggle for power  and come back to the fold of society.  Chin “Butcher of Malaya” Peng vehemently refused and summarily went back into the jungle continue the rebellion.

The "Butchers of Malaya"

Federation of Malaya earned her sovereignity as an independent nation with a constitution and democratically elected constitutional monarchy government on 31 August 1957.  By right, if Chin “Butcher of Malaya” Peng and CPM’s armed struggle and rebellion was to chase away the British colonialists, then the independence should have been their end game. But instead, they continued their armed rebellion. This time against HM Seri Paduka Baginda Yang DiPertuan Agong, Federation of Malaya, the Federal Constitution and the rakyat. Apparently, this armed rebellion was carried on post independence for another 32 years.

The "Butchers of Malaya" armed with World War II rifles

Emergency was declared officially ended by HM Seri Paduka Baginda Yang DiPertuan Agong III Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalulail in 1960. Almost 18,000 lives were lost in the 12 year armed rebellion. Of that, 60% is non combatant civilians. This proves that Chin “Butcher of Malaya” Peng and CPM was brutal against innocent civilians (many Malayans), in their lust to grab power!

The Malayan Emergency 1948-60

The cost of the ‘Malayan Emergency’ 1948-60 was the never ascertained. However, it has permanently restructured the socio-political landscape on the nation and rakyat. The effect is reflected on the current socio-political fabric of modern Malaysia, till present day. The British authorities believed that many of the Chinese ethnic, are sympathisers and ‘forced’ supporters of the CPM armed rebel as opposed to the majority Malay. ‘Briggs Plan’ was devised to address this problem and created a lot Chinese new villages as an effort to stop the mainly Chinese ethnic, who are the main sympathizers, supporters and/or suppliers to the ‘Butchers of Malaya’ armed rebels.

Post independence, the brutal war that Chin “Butcher of Malaya” Peng and CPM waged againsts Malayans (later Malaysians)  went on further for over 32 years till the ‘Hadyaii Accord’, which was signed on 2 December 1989. In between that, Chin “Butcher of Malaya” Peng even masterminded two top level assassinations; IGP Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Hashim on 7 June 1974 and Perak CPO Tan Sri Khoo Chong Kong on 13 November 1975. The objective was to instill terror in the eyes of the rakyat, by assassinating the people who are supposed to protect them.

The “Butchers of Malaya” have a coherent linkage to the racial riots of 13 May 1969. Two years before that, Chin “Butcher of Malaya” Peng restrengthened his insurgency with a new strategy. It is believed that they will use political channel to create the disability where an armed rebellion previously failed. The provocation against the majority Malays was very clear, especially protesters used materials which was pro-Leninist-Maoist, the fundamental ideology of CPM. It was all about creating chaos and some people who hoped to”rise from the ashes of racial riot ruins’. It was evidently clear the CPM “Butchers of Malaya” were involved in the racial riots from the firearms recovered post incident.

The 13th May 1969 Racial Riots which started from the provocation of Chinese Chauvinists, some with pro-Maoist slogans

In short, to regard Chin “Butcher of Malaya” Peng as anything less than  the leader of  barbaric armed rebels is totally unacceptable. So much lives and resources was channeled to stop his brutal armed rebellion and barbarism that cost so much. It was the wisdom and ability of Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra as a leader with mandate of the majority that managed to convince Whitehall and HRHs Malay Sultans for independence to be achieved, in the midst of Chin “Butcher of Malaya” Peng’s CPM armed rebellion.

Tugu Negara: Erected to commemorate the fight and lives lost defending tanahair against the armed rebellion of the "Butchers of Malaya"

Lately, there has been attempt to bring back Chin “Butcher of Malaya” Peng and the opportunity is expected to be capitalised to the fullest for the ‘liberalists’ of ‘overpowering the strength’ of the conservative majority. Politically bankrupt politicians such as former abuse-of-power-convict Anwar “King of Anarchy Politics” Ibrahim attempted to ride on the controversy that looms from the attempt to bring the numero uno anti Malayan/Malaysian rebel back. The sordid attempt to capitalise on anarchy politics, with the intencity of pseudo-techno-anarchists and even NGOs advocating via pseudo ‘intellectual discourse’, will create confusion amongst the internet-savvy younger generation Malaysians and wegde the divide, in the strategic plan for people like Anwar and Chinese Chauvinists DAP to grab power. In essence, it is a repackaged communist terrorists strategy.

Fortunately, the majority of Malaysians rejected the sordid attempt. Let us keep it that way. Chin Peng and CPM bandits are “Butchers of Malaya”. The true patriots are people who worked so hard to end Chin “Butcher of Malaya” Peng’s brutal armed rebellion.