KHAIRUDDIN, PLEASE REPLY TO THIS

For 30 years many believed that Musa was behind the Memali massacre. Two years ago it was revealed that Mahathir was actually in the country and not in China after all when Memali happened. So it was Mahathir and not Musa who directed the operation. And that means someone lied to Parliament in 1985. And all this while many believed that Musa’s son’s death in the Highland Towers tragedy was God’s punishment for Memali.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

On 19th November 1985, 18 people were killed in Memali, Kedah, in a skirmish between 200 police personnel and 400 villagers. For almost 30 years Malaysians believed that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was in China at that time and that the operation was handled by the then Deputy Prime Minister, Tun Musa Hitam.

Two years ago it was revealed that Mahathir was not in China but was, in fact, in his office in Kuala Lumpur and that he had been monitoring the operation all along. A White Paper was presented to Parliament stating that Mahathir was overseas when he was not. That is a serious offence and action can and should be taken against the person who intentionally lied to Parliament.

When Memali first occurred, Musa Hitam was condemned and was called a murderer. When Musa’s son, Carlos Abdul Rashid (and his wife Rosina Datuk Abu Bakar), died in the Highland Towers tragedy on 11th December 1993, many people were quite happy and said that that was God’s punishment to Musa for killing innocent people in Memali.

Many people believed that the Memali massacre was due to Umno winning only 70 seats, or less than 50%, in the 1982 general election, soon after Mahathir took over as Prime Minister. Even though PAS won only five seats (due to gerrymandering) but they still won more than 600,000 votes. And that was worrying Mahathir.

In the 1986 general election (after Memali), Umno won 83 seats but in percentage no increase over 1982. PAS, on the other hand, won just one seat although it saw its votes increase to more than 700,000. The real winner was DAP who saw their seats increase to 24 from just nine in 1982 and its votes increase to almost one million from 800,000 in the previous election.

Anyway, Memali, which was supposed to frighten the voters, by showing that PAS was a militant or extremist party, did not really achieve its objective. But it did result in Musa being cursed and for people to say that the death of his son and daughter-in-law was God’s punishment for Memali.

It is certainly not a nice feeling for people to clap and cheer when your son and his wife die in a tragedy. And for 30 years this was what Musa suffered. And now we find that he was not, after all, behind Memali but Mahathir was.

So, Khairuddin Abu Hassan, what have you go to say about that? You called me a liar but then this is not what I say, this is what Musa Hitam said. It was believed that Musa had killed those people in Memali and that the death of his son and daughter-in-law was God’s punishment for Memali. Now we are being told that it was not Musa but Mahathir who is the culprit. So what say you, Khairuddin?

Over to you, my friend, and maybe all those who clapped and cheered when Carlos and Rosina died in the Highland Towers collapse can apologise to Musa for being so cruel to him.

Musa Hitam with son Carlos Rashid (right), daughter Rosana, and daughter-in-law Rosina Abu Bakar.

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Following is the full media statement issued by former Deputy Prime Minister Tun Musa Hitam concerning his remarks on the Memali incident at the discourse organised by the Kelantan state government on March 27 themed ‘Malaysian Politics: Now and Then’.

At 9.00 pm on March 27, 2014, I, together with (PAS vice-president) YB Husam Musa were panelists in the discourse organised by the Kelantan state government themed ‘Malaysian Politics: Now and Then’.

Professor Agoes from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia was the Moderator. The format of the discussion was similar to BBC London’s television programme HARDTalk which prohibits panelists from using scripts or notes but to be prepared to answer whatever questions posed by the moderator.

Throughout the two-hour discourse, the Moderator was combative, aggressive and provocative. At the same time, I admit that he had displayed a fair, non-aligned and non-partisan attitude.

Towards the end of the discourse, I was asked questions about the Memali incident, which I inferred revolved on three main issues, which are:

1. My confirmation that on the day of the Memali incident, (the then Prime Minister) Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was in China and that I was the Acting Prime Minister.

2. I was fully responsible for the incident.

3. My feelings about the Memali incident.

I gave my responses to the questions based on these four aspects:

1. I reprimanded the Moderator by saying that as a Professor, what he says must be based on in-depth research and accurate facts.

2. On the day of the Memali incident (Nov 19, 1985), Dr Mahathir was in Kuala Lumpur and I was not the Acting Prime Minister.

The Moderator showed a reaction of shock and in a clear voice, said ‘My God’, which also shocked the audience.

3. As the Home Minister then, I had outlined a general guide, issued a reminder and instructed the police on two things:

(i) The law must be complied with; and

(ii) Avoid violence and bloodshed.

I assumed responsibility and accountability over what had happened although I was not directly involved in the incident, but (I) left it to the discretion of the police to undertake the operation, in terms of determining the best time, method and approach to carry it out.

4. I admit with frankness, sincerity and with full realisation that the black mark in my political career is the Memali incident.

During the timeframe given by the moderator, I had explained the sequence of events.

On the day of the incident, the then acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and I had met with Dr Mahathir at his office and that the acting IGP had briefed him on what had happened following the police operation in Memali, which had resulted in the deaths of four policemen and 14 civilians.

At the meeting, I asked Dr Mahathir to postpone a China visit on three grounds:

1. The incident occurred in Kedah, the home state of the prime minister;

2. The incident involved Malays who professed Islam; and

3. By postponing the visit to China, Dr Mahathir would have portrayed that he had given priority to and showed concern for an incident that happened in the country.

Dr Mahathir insisted on going to China but I made known my suggestion to table (a report on) the Memali incident in Parliament.

Besides, I also asked for all media, including foreign media, to give me 24 hours to get a more accurate and comprehensive information about the incident.

I tabled (the report on) the Memali incident in the Dewan Rakyat on the following day (November 20, 1985) and convened a meeting with the media.

In summary:

1. It was not my intention to trigger new polemics in relation to Memali. It was revived following my response to a question posed by a moderator at the discourse.

2. The MAIN ISSUE in this matter is the fact that whether or not on the day of the incident I was the Acting Prime Minister because Tun Dr Mahathir was abroad. Based on my research from reference sources, it is clear that Tun Dr Mahathir was in the country, and that I was not the Acting Prime Minister on the day of the Memali incident.

3. During the court proceedings of my lawsuit against a writer a few years ago, in which I won, (Tun Dr Mahathir was still in power then), my lawyer asked two similar questions, whether Dr Mahathir was in the country on the day of the Memali incident and whether I was Acting Prime Minister. My answers were consistent that he was in the country and I was not Acting Prime Minister.

However, none of the media reported this.

All this while, I had been insulted, condemned and held in contempt over the incident by various quarters, particularly PAS. As far as I can recall, what more after I had stepped down from the ministerial post, no one from the government or even from Umno, of which I am a member, was prepared to come out with the truth.

I had offered to attend an exclusive interview with the media specially on the subject of the Memali incident, but no media was willing to interview me. I realise and understand that at that time no one was prepared to face the risk of talking about matters that could be assumed as having a bearing on the position and person of a prime minister in power.

All this while, I had been alone in my quest to get justice, but I kept praying and, finally, the discourse in Kelantan came up which I regard as God’s answer to my prayers.

I realised that the latest development had drawn various positive and even negative comments and views, not least in the form of fresh accusations, allegations and slander against me.

I leave everything to God, the All-Knowing, as He knows the truth and I seek His guidance and justice.