Musa Hitam to speak during Memali programme

Former Deputy Prime Minister Tun Musa Hitam is expected to deliver a speech during the ‘Himpunan Keadilan Untuk Mu Memali’ programme to be held on May 23.

Musa, who was Deputy Prime Minister during the Memali incident 29 years ago, is expected to join PAS President, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awan, Deputy PAS President Mohamad Sabu, PAS information chief Datuk Mahfuz Omar, former Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Muhammad Mohd Taib and several leaders on stage.

Musa had recently shocked the nation when he revealed that then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was in Kuala Lumpur during the bloody events and not in China as previously claimed.

During a discourse organised by the Kelantan state government held in Kota Bharu themed ‘Malaysian Politics: Now and Then’, Musa who was one of the panellists said, the Memali incident was a black dot in his political career.

During the November 19, 1985 incident, about 200 policemen clashed with some 400 supporters of local Islamic sect leader Ibrahim Mahmud, who was killed in Baling.

The policemen were ordered by the Home Minister to arrest Ibrahim Mahmud, also called Ibrahim Libya, under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for spreading deviationist teachings and threatening public order then.

The incident claimed the lives of 14 people from that village including four policemen, and left dozens other injured, while hundreds were arrested.

For years, Musa, who was then the Home Minister, was blamed over the incident as he had reportedly took charge of the operations as the Home Minister while Dr Mahathir was apparently in China for a visit.