YOURSAY ‘Who can we believe? Certainly not the chief scoundrel.’

Musa: Nobody dared speak the truth on Memali

Awakened: If you follow the chronology of events stated by former DPM Musa Hitam, the instructions given by him to the police and then the briefings by the police to him and the PM then, the IGP (inspector-general of police) and Musa should take responsibility as home minister when the police have acted contrary to his instruction.

 

The IGP and the police reports to the home minister and the home minister reports to the PM. Unless the PM overrule him in giving specific order against Musa's wishes, he cannot pass the blame to the PM.

 

Of course, the PM will take responsibility at the end for a screw-up by any ministry. If Musa really takes responsibility, he should sack the police chief first and then resign as home minister.

 

The PM should take responsibility and sack both IGP and Musa as home minister for the failure of the police to adhere strictly to his instruction if Musa and IGP did not resign.

 

This is what we called taking responsibility as the head of executive of a country. But no one takes that responsibility.

 

Kim Quek: That a huge lie like this - that the prime minister was not in country when that infamous incident occurred - could be kept under lid for three decades despite many people including the media having known it, speaks volume of the Malaysian political culture since Dr Mahathir Mohamad took power.

 

Media have been cowed and zipped, so have the officials. I believe the same culture persists till today with the exception of web media, which have not grown sufficiently to outweigh the mainstream media in political influence.

 

Now that Musa has unequivocally stated the facts in writing, will the good doctor continue to seek shelter under his “poor memory”, or will he have the manhood to speak the truth, at least for this occasion?

 

Aries46: Musa says that his quest for justice has been granted by Allah and he seeks guidance and justice from Him. God helps those that help themselves.

 

The time has come for Musa to spill all the evil deeds of the sly fox that hid the truth for 29 long years. Not just the Memali slaughter.

 

Since Mahathir was still mooching around Kuala Lumpur then how sure is it that he did not brief the police chief anything more than what Musa had directed?

 

Proarte: What stopped Musa from making a press statement if he felt maligned and victimised?

 

He could have set the record straight in an open letter, which would surely have been published in Malaysiakini . Or he could have ventilated his innocence over Memali and clarified that Mahathir was in the country during the Memali incident in his personal blog.

 

Why did he abet this lie by his silence and take the ultimate responsibility for the tragedy? He never addressed this fundamental point.

 

I believe Musa and Mahathir were in this together and he is now trying to shift all the blame to Mahathir showing his moral cowardice.

 

Debater: I believe him when he said that no media is willing to report the truth. All mainstream newspapers of the day are controlled by BN ownership or threatened by the publishing licences.

 

Until the Internet era changes the game. That is why BN does not allow a freer press and even tried to control the internet. That is the only way they can continue to keep information from the public.

 

Relevancy: There is a lot of comments on why the former deputy prime minister did not reveal until now should read the article again.

 

He had on several occasions tried but no one in the media circle and politicians wants to talk. listen or report about it.

 

Remember, that era was heavily censored as to what actually transpired. Even now, with the revelation, there are still facts hidden from the people.

 

Magnus: What Musa has really said here is that those 14 people at Memali were killed without proper authority i.e. that they were murdered by the police and/or executed summarily by the state (under the illegal orders of the relevant ministers) in breach of due process and Malaysia's rule of law.

 

So what happens next on this newly revealed miscarriage of justice in Malaysia?

 

Well, I'll take a bet that other than some more hot air being let off on the matter, no action whatsoever will be taken by the government or by law enforcement officers who are now in charge of Malaysia's due legal processes that underpin the nation's operative rule of law.

 

TC Chan: When I first read the expose by Musa, the burning issue was not whether Mahathir was in Malaysia on Nov 19, 1985 but that Musa said that Mahathir was in Malaysia two or three days after the incident.

 

If the reporting was accurate, Musa was lying and that he had not addressed the issue. Newspaper reports all said that Mahathir left on Nov 19 to begin his official visit on Nov 20.

 

Avenger: Musa’s "quest for justice"? When for many years he was part of an unjust regime that bullied, lied, cheated and stole? Has he now sought justice for the victims of this unjust regime?

 

His conduct had helped to continue the existence of this evil regime. Musa, stop whining. Anything more to reveal? He might end up in detention if he were to reveal all. And don't count on the courts to set you free if you get detained.

 

Ksn: It is true that nobody dare to speak, not just on Memali, but all and every aspect of nation building like abuses of public funds, laws, corruption, cronyism, extravagance, etc, all those vices that happened for 22 years under Mahathir. Hence the country is in this sad shape.

 

Malaysia Maju:: Thank you, Musa Hitam. It's better late than never. And about Mahathir's memory, I am sure it is as sharp as ever.

 

Lightning: Someone should write a book called 'Political Scoundrels' Kiss And Tell'.

 

They eat at the same table, share the goodies, hide one another's secrets, scratch one another's backs and when it suits some, start telling the world for whatever motive they have.

 

The naive public jumps for joy, now we are hearing it. Why only now?

 

And then we have some other leaders in the same team who openly criticise the party and government, singing musical songs on government wastages, corruption, abuses of Petronas money, etc, yet refuse to move out from the party.

 

Who can we believe? Certainly not the chief scoundrel, but also not others who mount pious statements because they want the cake and eat it and not really mean what they say.

 

But choose we must because it's our duty to do so as the country still practise the democratic system in spite of all the one-sidedness. We know who the scoundrels are, so at this juncture, we can only pick Anwar and Pakatan Rakyat.

 

Onyourtoes: Musa, you waited too long to disclose. If even as the DPM, you stood no chance once you were out of favour, why didn't you fight alongside with the opposition to get rid of that monster much earlier?

 

Instead, you have remained quiet to let him plunder and insult with impunity. What about after his retirement? Are you saying you still have no opportunity to disclose the truth?

 

Are you saying you may face the same consequence as Anwar Ibrahim if you have stood up against him? Did you have skeleton to hide?

 

Anyway, between you and him, I know whom to believe. When Mahathir said he must check because he can’t remember, that was a clear manifestation he was in the country.

 

Even I could remember where I was and what I was doing when I first heard of that incident. There was even a rumour circulating at that time that you were drunk when you ordered the assault.

 

Milosevic: Like so many slippery Malaysians, Musa wants to signal that he has a progressive side while fully enjoying the benefits of office and the comforts of a conformist.

 

I remember his racist and shortsighted statements before and when he was DPM, while always wanting to convey the image of some kind of liberal.

 

Now he makes it seem that he had no means of revealing this dark secret, and only by fortuitous circumstances did the Kelantan forum allow the facts of this incident to surface.

 

Who is he kidding? The alternative media has been around for more than a decade. He could have easily made his views known, especially when he says that he indeed wanted to come clean on this, praying to Allah for the chance.

 

Musa, come clean on the timing of your revelations, and why you have not given up the games you like to play.

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