M'SIAN HOME MINISTRY DENIES GOVT RENEGED ON PEACE AGREEMENT WITH CPM

PUTRAJAYA, June 2 (Bernama) -- The Home Ministry Tuesday refuted claims by
some quarters that the government had reneged on its peace agreement with the
Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) signed on Dec 2, 1989.

Its deputy minister Abu Seman Yusop said 442 ex-CPM members
applied to return to Malaysia, but only 406 attended the interviews and
fulfilled the conditions to be allowed to return.

"Chin Peng or his real name, Ong Boon Hwa, had submitted his application a
day before the application period closed, but he did not attend the interview
fixed for Oct 31, 1992.

"After that he never submitted a new application, instead used the court to
determine the status of his citizenship. His action clearly showed that he
failed to abide by the conditions stipulated in the peace agreement and did not
obey the laws of the country as required," he told a news conference, here,
Tuesday.

According to the records, in his bid to return to Malaysia, Chin Peng had
filed to the court five affidavits between March 4 and April 4, 2005.


Abu Seman said in the case of Chin Peng, the Home Ministry had remained firm
and would not compromise as he was not a hero who should be honoured.

Earlier, Abu Seman had chaired the meeting of the main committee for the
awareness campaign against ah long or loan sharks.

He said a working committee was set up under this main committee to ensure
continuity of the campaign and enforcement of the law against loan sharks.

Abu Seman said in the effort to stamp out ah long activities, the Anti-Money
Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001 was used, which provided for a
a heavy fine of up to RM5 million or jail term of up to five years, or both if
convicted.

"Before this, those found guilty were sentenced under the Money Lenders Act
1951, which provides for a fine of not less than RM20,000 and not more than
RM100,000 or a jail term of not more than five years, or both."

He said so far, five ah long cases were still under investigation, including
the latest in which three men were heavily chained at their neck and legs to the
walls of a room which was turned into a lock-up in a vacant shoplot by ah long
after the three failed to pay their debts.

-- BERNAMA