M'SIA WILL NOT ALLOW CHIN PENG TO RETURN, SAYS PM

PUTRAJAYA, May 28 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian government will not allow
former Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) leader Chin Peng to reside in the
country.

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak said the return of the former
terrorist would lead to dissatisfaction among the people, especially those who
fought the communists and families who lost their loved ones during the CPM's
revolt from 1948 to 1981 (known as the Emergency).

Najib said this to reporters at his office at the Perdana Putra building
here Wednesday.

He was asked to comment on the call by Penang Gerakan chairman Dr Teng
Hock Nan for the government to allow Chin Peng to return to Malaysia.

According to Teng, Chin Peng, who is now domiciled in Thailand, no longer
posed a threat and as such the government should consider allowing him to return
on humanitarian grounds.

The request by Teng drew flak from many quarters, including Defence Minister
Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who described it as insensitive to present and
former members of the security forces and families of those who lost their loved
ones to the communists during the Emergency.

In other developments, commenting on the Internal Security Act detention
of
Jemaah Islamiah (JI) leader Mas Selamat Kastari, Najib said the suspect would be
held at the Kamunting ISA detention camp for two years to enable the authorities
to gain more information on the terrorist network.

He said Mas Selamat's detention was justified as he posed a threat to the
security of Malaysia and Singapore.

He added that the security authorities of both countries were in contact on
the matter and that Singapore too would have taken similar action had he been in
the republic.

Mas Selamat, who escaped from a Singapore prison over a year ago, was
captured at a remote village near Scudai in Johor last month.

-- BERNAMA