Origins & Early Life

Chin Peng (21 October 1924 – 16 September 2013), born Ong Boon Hua, was a Malayan communist politician, guerrilla leader, and revolutionary. He was the longest-serving General Secretary of the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) and the leader of its armed wing, the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA). A Maoist, he led the CPM from 1947 until the party's dissolution in 1989. Chin was born into a middle-class family in Sitiawan, now a part of Perak.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

In 1939, at the age of 15, he became a revolutionary and fled to Kuala Lumpur in 1940. He joined the CPM in 1941, and quickly involved himself in local party committees and labour unions in Perak. Throughout the Second World War, Chin fought as an anti-colonialist guerrilla in the Malayan Peoples' Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA) against the Japanese occupation of Malaya, allying with Force 136, a British-funded covert resistance movement. He was subsequently awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE). As the most senior surviving member of the CPM to emerge from the war, he founded the MNLA and between 1948 and 1960 engaged in an unsuccessful war—known as the Malayan Emergency—to win independence for Malaya from the British Empire.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

His actions...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Anatole France — Contemporary (Died in 1924) (1924): Master French writer, poet, and journalist celebrated for irony and style.
• Andrew Irvine (mountaineer) — Contemporary (Died in 1924) (1924): British mountaineer famous for the 1924 Everest expedition with George Mallory.
• Antony Hewish — Contemporary (Born in 1924) (1924): Pioneering radio astronomer, celebrated for the discovery of pulsars.
• Bernadette Lafont — Contemporary (Died in 2013) (2013): Iconic French actress, celebrated for her role in the New Wave movement.
• Bobby Bland — Contemporary (Died in 2013) (2013): Pioneering blues and soul artist known for tempestuous arias of love and betrayal.
• Boris Berezovsky (businessman) — Contemporary (Died in 2013) (2013): Russian oligarch and businessman known for accumulating vast wealth through privatization.
• 21 Savage — Shared historical date (10-22 · Born) (1992): Atlanta-based rapper known for his distinctive style and career evolution.
• Ann Rule — Shared historical date (10-22 · Born) (1931): Pioneering American true crime author, famed for exposing serial killers like Ted Bundy.
• Aleksandr Medved — Shared historical date (09-16 · Born) (1937): Legendary Soviet/Belarussian freestyle wrestler, celebrated for Olympic dominance.
• Anthony Padilla — Shared historical date (09-16 · Born) (1987): Pioneering American YouTuber, co-founder of Smosh, known for sketch comedy.
• 1924 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1924
• October 22 (10-22) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on October 22
• 2013 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 2013
• September 16 (09-16) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on September 16