KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 27 — Former Malayan Communist Party leader Chin Peng was dead and it mattered not that his ashes have been scattered in Malaysia, said Padang Serai MP M. Karupaiya.

Commenting on the controversial move to lay the dead communist leader to rest in the country, the PKR MP pointed out that Chin Peng, who was born Ong Boon Hua, was born in what is now Malaysia.

"Alright, my view. My view. The ashes is not a problem to us. That matter is already over.

"Even if we bring back, it doesn't matter to us, because we as Malaysians, we respect. Even if he's an enemy, we give respect, because he was born in our country. That's all, " Karupaiya said, while debating the 2020 Budget allocation for the Defence Ministry.

He was responding to a question from Lenggong MP Datuk Shamsul Annuar Nasarah, who asked for Karupaiya's opinion on the matter.

Chin was born near Sitiawan, Perak and died in 2013 while still in exile in Bangkok, Thailand.

He was never allowed to return to Malaysia despite the 1989 Hat Yai Peace Agreement and the previous Barisan Nasional government also blocked efforts to bring his cremated remains back into the country.

News emerged yesterday, however, that his ashes have been brought into country and scattered at undisclosed locations near his birthplace.