KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 1 — Islamic leaders in 1985 could not comment on the Memali Incident for fear of reprisal from the Mahathir administration then, said PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.
In an Utusan Malaysia report today, he alleged that political interference by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s government could be seen in the way judges and police chiefs had been removed during the latter’s rule.
“Even muftis were forced (to keep quiet). It was safer to keep quiet than to speak during that time,” Abdul Hadi was quoted saying.
He was responding to a recent Dr Mahathir speech, in which the former prime minister criticised state muftis then for allegedly refusing to correct Hadi’s controversial “amanat” on the Memali Incident in 1985.
On his 1981 “amanat” speech, Hadi also said it must be read in its entirety to understand its context.
“Citing just a few paragraphs is wrong,” he was quoted as saying.
In a separate Sinar Harian report, PAS information chief Nasrudin Hassan said dragging muftis into the picture only showed that Dr Mahathir failed to own up to his mistakes.
“He (Dr Mahathir) is trying to make the muftis look stupid for not fighting against Hadi’s amanat.
“If it was really true that the amanat was against Islamic laws, then it has to be impossible for all 14 muftis to keep quiet and let it be,” he was quoted as saying.
According to the news reports, Dr Mahathir claimed the bloodshed and deaths of 14 villagers and four policemen in the village in Baling, Kedah could have been avoided if the muftis had spoken out against PAS then.
Yesterday, PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali also said it was wrong to drag Islamic clerics into politics for personal gain, but did not name the target of his criticism.
