Former Communist Party of Malaya leader Chin Peng's final wishes was to have his ashes brought back to his hometown of Sitiawan.

According to a former CPM member Fang Shan, this was conveyed to him during a meeting last year.

"The last time I met him was a year ago at Bangkok. He told me the same thing: He wanted to come back while he was alive. Or else, he wants his ashes brought back.

"He couldn't come back when he was alive. That was his biggest regret," said Fang, 75, who was once a CPM propagandist.

Fang said he will be traveling to Bangkok soon to meet Chin Peng's family members who will ultimately decide whether to allow the ashes to be brought back.

He believed that his party comrades, numbering at about 300 people, would also want to see Chin Peng's ashes brought back.

Since 1991, about 340 former CPM members were allowed back into the country and were resettled in various parts of the country.

Chin Peng, born Ong Boon Hua in 1924, was pronounced dead at 6.20am this morning in Bangkok.

'Our efforts were once recognised'

Fang, a nom de guerre given after he joined the CPM, said that the Putrajaya owed Chin and his family an apology for breaching the Hatyai Peace Accord, which stated the ex-communists are allowed to return to Malaysia.

"To ensure we returned safely, he chose to be the last batch to come back, but he never made it home," he said with with a sad tone.

"Back then, there were over 400 registered to return home, but only 340 made it," he said, adding that he was one of who returned and settled in Kuala Lumpur.

According to Fang, a prominent negotiator representing Kuala Lumpur had acknowledged CPM's contribution toward independence during the treaty process and this was properly documented.

"However, the government changed their stance through their propaganda later. CPM and Chin Peng were demonised... History must be told properly and not covered up," he said.

To Fang, his former party boss was a respectable figure who had contributed to the country by accelerating the Independence process.