KUALA LUMPUR: Former Deputy Prime Minister Tun Musa Hitam said yesterday a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on the Memali incident should be set up only after the 14th General Election to avoid it being misused for political interests and to fish for votes.
He said a post-election atmosphere of political calm and peace would prevent any quarters from exploiting the tragedy, which involved the loss of lives, for political gain.
Holding the RCI after the general election would be a wiser move and more consistent with the purpose, establishment and proceedings of the RCI to investigate the incident, he said in a statement.
He said the matter that had to be considered was the right time for the setting up of the RCI and the objective of establishing it should not be to meet any short-term political agenda to the extent of sacrificing the truth and deviating from the objective of wanting to establish the truth.
Musa, who was the Home Minister during the Memali incident that took place on Nov 19, 1985, said he had no problem with the setting up of the RCI so long as it was done with the right intention to seek facts and the truth without prejudice, and its establishment was in accordance with the Federal Constitution and laws of the country.
Eighteen people, four of them policemen, were killed and many others injured in what has come to be called the Memali incident after police launched an operation to arrest Ibrahim Mahmud, a teacher better known as Ibrahim Libya, amidst resistance.
On Aug 20, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi reportedly said the government was prepared to consider setting up an RCI if there was a request and PAS leaders suggested that it be done.
Musa said the incident happened almost 32 years ago and other than a white paper distributed in Parliament nothing else was done to establish the truth.
“I do not see the rationale and wisdom of doing things in a hurry. On the contrary, deferring the establishment of the commission by several months will give it greater credibility and make it appear to be independent of the heat of the political turbulence in the run-up to the 14th General Election,” he said.
Musa said he was confident that all quarters which were serious and honest about wanting to establish the truth behind the Memali incident would agree that the RCI be set up after the general election.
Musa said he realised that the Memali incident is a black mark in the history of the country.
“As such, efforts to investigate or gather information should be undertaken in a calm and focused manner without prejudice and bias,” he said, and reminded all quarters to exercise caution when issuing statements on the Memali issue.
He said that it was only by way of having a credible commission, proceedings and membership and practices that were transparent and of integrity could truth be established and the country respected by the local people and the international community.
The pro and contra voices on the establishment of the commission appeared to be thinking of the Memali incident as a normal political issue that would be used in the race to win votes by the quarters which were interested and passionate about exploiting it for political gain, he said.
“Memali is not an incident that can be misused as a political ball game. The incident is a tragedy and black mark in the history of the country, involving the deaths of our citizens comprising policemen and civilians who were loyal followers of a teacher,” he said. —Bernama