UM academic Awang Azman says the government risks a backlash for insulting the public's intelligence.
KUALA LUMPUR: An academic has cautioned the government against setting up a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) over the Memali tragedy, saying it risks a backlash for insulting the public’s intelligence.
Speaking to FMT, Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya said Malaysians were becoming discerning enough to see a political motive behind such a move.
He noted that there had been calls for the inquiry, especially from Barisan Nasional and PAS figures, since Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi spoke of the idea.
However, he added, many other members of the public were intelligent enough to ask “why now” and other such questions.
“They are asking what is the real motive? Does it have anything to do with the current political situation, with Dr Mahathir Mohamad joining the opposition? Why not in the first year that the prime minister assumed power? Why not during Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s tenure?”
He said it was important to note that the Memali tragedy happened when Umno was in power.
“The people are asking, ‘Why didn’t Umno Youth push for an RCI the year the incident happened?’ They are also asking, ‘Why didn’t Umno leaders in the cabinet speak up then? Why didn’t any of them quit?”
He said many people were more concerned about the resolution of bread and butter issues such as unemployment, the fall of the ringgit, the burden of the goods and services tax and the rising cost of living.
Tourism and Culture Minister Nazri Aziz recently said he supported an RCI into the Memali tragedy, claiming that the government’s response then was inappropriate.
He also said Mahathir, who was prime minister at the time, needed to answer for it.
The Memali incident happened on Nov 19, 1985. A police siege on the village in Baling, Kedah, ended with the death of 14 residents and four policemen.
Discussions on the tragedy were revived after a question on it was posed to Mahathir during his Nothing to Hide 2.0 forum on Aug 13.
On Aug 20, Zahid said the government was willing to consider setting up an RCI into the tragedy. He elicited strong support from PAS leaders. - FMT
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