The accord that ended a war – reflecting on Hat Yai 36 years on

Ignacius C

The peace enjoyed by the present generation in Malaysia can be traced to a definitive moment 35 years ago in the city of Hat Yai.

On 2 December 1989, a landmark accord was signed by the governments of Malaysia and Thailand, and the Communist Party of Malaya. This agreement reconciled profound political differences, achieving a dignified and rare peace.

It was a resolution built not on the principle of victor and vanquished, but on compromise and mutual respect.

In 1948, the British colonial government declared a war it dared not name. Officially an ‘Emergency’ so that London’s insurers would provide coverage, this conflict pitted the state against the CPM.

The jungle echoed with gunfire for years, yet the war persisted for three decades after independence. The reason lies not in the fighting, but in failed peace talks.

In 1955, with the CPM seeking a political path, then-Chief Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman presented its leaders a stark choice: unconditional surrender or continued isolation.

His terms demanded the guerrillas lay down their arms and submit to detention under the Preservation of Public Security Ordinance (PPSO) – with no promise of freedom.

Some historians argue the talks were political theatre, designed to publicly demonstrate the CPM’s intransigence and justify continued military force.

Whether or not this interpretation is accurate, the outcome was clear: trust collapsed.

For the undefeated guerrillas, the terms were untenable.

Surrender meant not only renouncing their cause but consigning comrades to indefinite detention, possibly under harsh conditions. Reports from the period document abuse and psychological torment in detention facilities designed to break the human spirit.

The collapse of trust at Baling condemned the nation to 34 more years of low-intensity warfare.

The anti-colonial struggle had lost its purpose, devolving into a costly and bloody stalemate.

It was only in 1989 that the Hat Yai peace agreement achieved what Baling could not.

This accord with Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s government transcended the logic of victor and vanquished, establishing a settlement grounded in mutual respect.

It was this spirit of mature negotiation – not the demand for unconditional surrender – that finally brought a formal end to the conflict.

Ignatius C is the pseudonym of a sociologist.