by Sharaad Kuttan

[Random acts of silencing continue. This time, one mainstream tabloid’s folly is ARTERI’s gain. Sharaad Kuttan’s latest piece about the Tugu Negara (National Monument) for his column ‘The Pedestrian’ was spiked (read: rejected) for publication. Maybe it was the fact that the word ‘communist’ was mentioned more than once. Whatever the reason, he has very kindly allowed us to publish it here – SC]

Between the Government of Malaysia’s national memorial, Tegu Peringatan Negara, a stone’s throw from the Parliament building in Kuala Lumpur, and the Communist Party of Malaya’s memorial at Princess Chulaporn Village No. 10 in southern Thailand, is a history that remains deeply contested.