PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said he is ready to testify if a royal inquiry into 1985’s Memali incident is set up.

Hadi said he was willing to cooperate if the government wanted to reinvestigate the incident that saw 18 people killed when police moved in to end a stand-off with followers of religious teacher Ibrahim Mahmud, aka Ibrahim Libya,  in Kampung Memali, Baling, Kedah, 32 years ago. Four policemen were among the dead.

Hadi has been accused of inspiring Ibrahim’s teachings, through a speech he made in 1981, which became famously known as “Amanat Hadi”. In the speech, he declared Umno and Barisan Nasional an infidel government which ruled like colonialists.

Hadi said a book on “Amanat Hadi” had been printed three times since 2002, but he was never charged with any offence over what he had said.

He also claimed that many who had listened to tapes of the speech, had gone to see him to apologise for linking him with the incident.

“It was an excerpt from an hour-long speech that I had I made. How can they just pick a few lines from an hour-long speech?

“I was never charged with any legal or religious offence; even though there was pressure (to do so).

“To me, it seems to be more of a political agenda (against me). But now, if they want to investigate the Memali incident again, it is okay with me,” he told a press conference in Terengganu earlier today.

A short video of the press conference is available on the Terengganu Kini Facebook page.

Asked if PAS would formally request the government to form the RCI, Hadi said he and his party were only responding to an earlier statement by deputy prime minister Zahid Hamidi that Putrajaya was ready to form a royal inquiry into the Memali incident.

“It is up to the government whether to do it or not. I will cooperate. They can call me anytime.

“There were many things hidden in the incident. Many who were alive when it happened do not know the story, what more those who were born after the tragedy.

“Many people fell victim, not just Ibrahim Mahmud and his followers. Policemen also (were victims); because the solution was not carried out in the right way… that is why we need an independent RCI,” he said.

Hadi also said he wanted the RCI for justice, not for political gain, as lives were lost.

“When it is a matter of religion, they should have sent in a religious department representative to talk to the people, not the police. We don’t blame the police.

“The villagers, as far as we know, didn’t have arms. Only the police had weapons…that’s is why the incident should be investigated in detail,” he said.

Hadi said nobody should make their own conclusions on the tragedy before an RCI was formed.

The Memali incident was returned to the national spotlight when Hadi claimed that the fracas at the Nothing to Hide 2.0 forum was triggered by a poor answer by Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who was prime minister at the time, on a question regarding the tragedy.

Several days later, Zahid said the government was ready to form an RCI to probe the Memali incident if any party, including from the victims’ families, made a request.

Last night, Prime Minister Najib Razak said Putrajaya had not decided whether to establish an RCI into the Memali tragedy, as various factors need to be taken into account first. – August 25, 2017.