The National Fatwa Councils intervention which led to the government halting its disputed broadcast of the Memali tragedy was dismissed as another Umno sandiwara (charade) by a PAS leader today.

PAS secretary-general Nasharudin Mat Isa said the fatwa councils remarks came at a convenient time to allow the government to stop the broadcast before the matter was raised in Parliament.

The government knew the matter would be hotly debated in Parliament, he told malaysiakini .

On March 11, the opening day of this years parliament session, the fatwa council urged political parties not to exploit the Memali tragedy for personal gains.

The next day, Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced the government would heed the religious bodys advice and cease airing the clip.

The controversial 30-minute programme, shown several times on the state-run Radio Television Malaysia (RTM), depicted the bloody clash between followers of PAS member Ibrahim Libya and security forces in the Memali village, Kedah.

The 1986 incident, claimed the lives of 14 villagers, including Ibrahim and four police personnel.

Nasharudin said it was wrong to use the fatwa council to conceal Umnos wrongdoings.

Umno started the whole thing by attacking PAS in the video clip, he said, adding it was the second time the government attempted to paint PAS in an unfavourable light.

The first was during the lead-up to Januarys Indera Kayangan by-election in Perlis, where a clip likening PAS to the deposed Taliban government of Afghanistan was aired.

Legal action

In a related matter, Nasharudin said no PAS leader has been charged with using religion to cause friction among the people so far.

The secretary-general was responding to a news report today which said Minister in the Prime Ministers Department Dr RaisYatim hinted legal action will be taken against those who use religion to divide the people.

However, Rais refused to comment if this involved opposition leaders, saying it would be a case of subjudice for him to elaborate.

Nasharudin said the minister could have been referring to the upcoming Memali case which is scheduled to be heard on April 23.

Fourteen cases have been filed by Memali villagers against then deputy prime minister and home minister Musa Hitam, claiming negligence of police forces in causing the deaths of the villagers.

If Rais is taking legal action, he should do so against the government for bringing up the Memali issue, said the PAS leader.

Rais could not be reached for comment.