Hadi: Dr M’s ‘unsatisfactory’ answers on Memali tragedy sparked free-for-all

VIOLENT FRACAS AT NOTHING TO HIDE 2.0 FORUM

THE fracas that ended Sunday’s Nothing to Hide 2.0 Forum was caused by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s unsatisfactory answer to the question on the Memali tragedy, which took place in 1985 near Baling, Kedah.

Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang said while most parties blamed others over the riot, they had overlooked that the chaos was triggered by an unsatisfactory answer to a question on the tragic incident that claimed 18 lives.

Hadi, in thanking those who had sought answers behind the bloody siege, said it was pointless to raise the matter again without making amends.

“There is no use digging up that dark period in history without any intention to repent, seek forgiveness (if you are) at fault, or making things right by paying for what needs to be paid and restore what needs to be restored.

“I would like to thank those who had sought answers for the Memali incident.

“To those who are unable to answer (on the incident), they should not have been angry, and others should not have created chaos. The youths are not to be blamed, but the (one who) caused it (the tragedy),” Hadi said yesterday.

He claimed many had hidden their involvement when commenting on the incident that took place during Dr Mahathir’s premiership.

“There is an Arabic proverb that says: ‘He is the one who hits me, yet he is the one who is crying. He is the one who abuses me, yet he is the one bemoaning his fate’.”

On Nov 19, 1985, a team of 200 policemen laid seige on a village supposedly home to 400 Muslims who were purportedly subscribers to a deviant Islamic sect under Pas leader Ibrahim Mahmud, fondly known as Ibrahim Libya. An ensuing clash led to the deaths of 14 villagers and four policemen.

On Sunday, pandemonium broke out at the forum which was held at Dewan Raja Muda Musa, shortly after Dr Mahathir had answered that police had only reacted based on standard operating procedures.

While punches were thrown and chairs thrown, Dr Mahathir and his wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali, were escorted safely out of the hall.

The police deployed a Light Strike Force anti-riot team.

Ten people had been detained to facilitate investigations.

Hadi said Pas ulama members considered Ibrahim and his associates martyrs since they were killed while upholding Islam.

“Ibrahim and his friends were blamed (for committing deviancy), but not those who had insulted Islam and its laws. That made Ibrahim and his friends furious.”

Hadi said there were many civil servants, policemen and Umno members who did not agree with the action taken against Ibrahim.

“They disagreed with the action that led to the death of policemen forced to attack Ibrahim and his friends.

“We hope for those who had died while being coerced (to attack the village) to be granted martyrdom. That is an Islamic precept.”

The youths are not to be blamed, but the (one who) caused it (the tragedy).

Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang Pas president