LETTER | Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad is right when he stated that the Chin Peng ashes issue should not be over-politicised when there are other more pressing concerns facing the nation especially the economic slowdown. 

When Malay CPM leaders like Shamsiah Fakeh, Abdullah CD and Rashid Maidin could come back, there is no reason why even the ashes of Chin Peng cannot be bought back to his homeland as he was born in Malaysia. 

It is his birthright for him to be laid to rest in Malaysia or for his ashes to be strewn, if he so wished, in his homeland, Malaysia. 

As Mahathir has correctly said, killing is common in a war or civil war or insurgency like the Emergency. The Japanese killed thousands of Malaysians including police and security forces. 

Before that, the British had killed a large number of Malay patriots who stood in the way of colonisation. 

We have forgotten it if not forgiven all these atrocities so why should Chin Peng be an exception?

Today, we allow all ex-Islamic State fighters to come back to be rehabilitated when it is well known that these fighters had killed a large number of fellow Muslim Arabs and other minorities including the helpless Yazidis. 

Malaysians need to consider all aspects of history and not be content with one that was written by those with a vested political agenda. Future generations could regard the CPM and Chin Peng as freedom fighters who hastened the journey to Merdeka. 

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.