SHAH ALAM: Former deputy prime minister Tun Musa Hitam today said he welcomed the formation of a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on the Memali incident but reiterated that it should only be carried out after the 14th general election.
This came after the latest statement by Kedah Pas deputy commissioner Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, who on Monday called for the formation of RCI to be accelerated to uncover the truth behind the 1985 bloody incident.
“I am on record to have said that I have no problem and indeed would welcome the formation of an RCI on Memali.
“Provided, as I said, that it was to be carried out after the general elections. Otherwise, it would be such an injustice to all those who sacrificed their lives, including members of the police force, if the RCI is set up to be concluded hurriedly merely to win votes in the forthcoming elections,” he said in a text message to the New Straits Times.
Musa, who served as deputy prime minister from 1981 to 1986, was responding to a request for comments on the call by Sanusi, which came two days after former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had pinned the blame on Pas as the cause of the bloody incident, allegedly over its denouncement of those who do not join the Islamic party as “infidels”.
This was not the first time Musa wanted the RCI to be formed after the election. In August, he issued a similar statement, saying that he did not want the Memali issue abused for political agenda and to fish for votes.
The Memali incident which happened on Nov 19, 1985 in Baling, Kedah saw four policemen and 14 civilians killed.
The civilians, who were villagers there, shot by police when they tried to protect religious teacher Ibrahim Mahmud, better known as Ibrahim Libya, from being arrested.
The incident also saw Ibrahim, who was a local Pas leader, killed.
It was reported that police had wanted to arrest Ibrahim under the now-repealed Internal Security Act for allegedly spreading deviant teachings.
Pas had since denied the allegation.