One of the longest-kept secrets surrounding the bloody Memali incident was laid bare last night: that the then prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was in Malaysia when police forces killed Ibrahim Libya and his followers in a clash.
For decades, it was reported that his deputy Tun Musa Hitam took charge of the operations as home minister in 1985 because Dr Mahathir was in China for a visit.
The context of last night’s revelation by Musa in Kota Baru is important because the then deputy prime minister’s image took a major hit and he subsequently fell out with Dr Mahathir.
The Memali incident occurred at a remote village in Baling, Kedah, in November 1985.
A team of policemen laid siege to the village of about 400 people and where the late Ibrahim Mahmud, also known as Ibrahim Libya had been running a religious school.
The incident resulted in 14 civilian deaths and two police deaths.
During the incident, Dr Mahathir had reportedly been in China but Musa claimed that he was in fact in Malaysia at the time.
Source : Malaysia Today
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.
Source : NST
Pas wants RCI on Memali expedited to uncover truth behind ‘Mahathir’s script’
The apology by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad will not weaken calls to expedite the establishment of a Royal Commission on Inquiry (RCI) to investigate the 1985 Memali incident.
Kedah Pas deputy commissioner Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said the formation of the RCI should instead be accelerated to uncover the truth behind the bloody incident which claimed the life of 14 civilians and four policemen.
He said the setting up of an RCI on Memali is paramount in order to bring justice to the family members of those who lost their lives in the violent clash between civilians and the police force which took place during Dr Mahathir’s time as prime minister.
Sanusi, who also leads a special committee to seek justice for the Memali victims in Kedah, said the committee and the victims’ relatives strongly believe that the bloody incident 33 years ago was the result of a grave mistake by Dr Mahathir’s administration.
“We totally agree with the call by former deputy prime minister Tun Musa Hitam for the setting up of the RCI to investigate Memali, even if it can only be formed after the 14th General Election (GE14).
“However, we are still harbouring hope that it will be expedited without further delay,” he said.
Sanusi said it is crucial for the RCI on Memali to be expedited as those involved in the tragedy are still alive, including Dr Mahathir, Musa, Tan Sri Radzi Sheikh Ahmad (then Home Minister), Tunku Muszaffar Shah (former Baling police chief) and many others, including the family members of the victims.
“We are worried that more witnesses would no longer be available if the RCI is not formed anytime soon. In fact, two days ago, the widow of a Memali victim passed away and this is a huge loss since she could have appeared as a witness,” he said.
Sanusi also chided Dr Mahathir for making a show of issuing a apology while delivering his policy speech at the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) inaugural delegates assembly two days ago, but at the same time, shoving the blame to others.
“He (Dr Mahathir) said he was sorry but then he put the blame on others including digging up old issues such as ‘Amanat Hadi’.
“So what does his apology mean if he is still blaming others for what had happened?”
‘Amanat Hadi’ is a Pas’ decree, issued by Pas’ Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang who had allegedly stated that those who supported Barisan Nasional were infidels.
In his speech, Dr Mahathir blamed the muftis at the time for not countering ‘Amanat Hadi’ when it became public in 1980s, which he claimed was the reason which influenced those involved in the Memali tragedy to engage in a violent confrontation with the police.
In the Memali incident on Nov 19, 1985, violence erupted when villagers resisted the police’s attempt to arrest religious teacher and local Pas leader Ibrahim Mahmud, better known as Ibrahim Libya, under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for deviant teachings, an allegation rejected by Pas.
Dr Mahathir was prime minister at the time of the incident in Kampung Memali, Baling in Kedah that saw a confrontation between police and Ibrahim and his supporters.
Sanusi reiterated the committee’s seven demands, which among others, include calling for the government to admit its mistake in handling the Memali issue and to issue an apology to victims and their family members; the formation of the RCI to investigate the tragedy in a fair and transparent manner without political interference; and to recommend those responsible behind the incident to be charged in court.
“We are also demanding for the Memali White Paper to be corrected to reflect the truth and not the ‘Mahathir version’, where all mistakes were covered up by false reports.
“The family members of the victims should be compensated for their losses while the property and cash belonging to the madrasah should be returned and the victims’ names cleared from any wrongdoing.”
Source : NST
Dr M: Memali 14 died in vain, not martyrs
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad claimed that the 14 people who were killed in the Memali tragedy in 1985, did not die as martyrs but rather died in vain.
He claimed that the reason behind the tragic incident was due to the ‘Amanat Haji Hadi’ issued in 1981 which called for government officers to be killed, as they were considered to be infidels.
“In short, ‘Amanat Haji Hadi’ urged his people (Pas) to kill government officers, as supposedly the government was an infidel government and he was against such government.
“Supposedly their people (Pas) in their fight against an infidel government, will die as martyr’s. The tragedy in Memali, saw them shoot dead four police officers, only then did Police respond, which saw 14 people being killed. Not die as martyr’s but died in vain,” he said in a ceramah at the Lembah Pantai constituency, here on Thursday.
‘Amanat Haji Hadi’ is the current Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang decree in the 1981, when he had allegedly stated that those who supported Barisan Nasional were infidels.
In the Memali incident on Nov 19, 1985, violence erupted when villagers resisted the police’s attempt to arrest preacher Ibrahim Mahmud, known as Ibrahim Libya, and who was also a local Pas leader, under the ISA for deviant teachings. It was an allegation rejected by Pas.
In addition to the eighteen people, including four policemen, who were killed, more than 100 people were injured in the clash.
Source : NST
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