PAS vice-president Idris Ahmad fired a stinging salvo against former inspector-general of police Abdul Rahim Noor, who blamed the Islamist party's president Abdul Hadi Awang for the Memali incident.

He recalled how the police chief assaulted former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim, leaving the latter with a black eye, following his arrest under the Internal Security Act in 1998.

“I want to ask Rahim who beat Anwar, whose 'amanat' (address) was he influenced by?

“He should be safeguarding the peace and security of police stations and detainees from thug-like behaviour... But the contrary happened,” he added in a statement published on Harakah Daily.

Therefore, Idris said it would be better for Rahim to keep quiet instead of making allegations against Hadi regarding the Memali incident.

The PAS leader also said Rahim's “deplorable service record” cannot be accepted by a “civilised society” and it is certain the former police chief would not be appointed as an RCI member.

“RCI members must have a clean record,” he added.

Idris was responding to a news report, which quoted Rahim as claiming that those involved in the incident, including Ibrahim Mahmud @ Ibrahim Libya, were influenced by Hadi's “amanat”.

The former top cop said the “amanat" had labelled Muslims who do not adopt Islam as a complete way of life, including politics, as kafir (infidels).

"Hadi's message was actively taken up and preached by PAS Youth, and it was this message that inspired Ibrahim Libya. He was a strident PAS follower and loyal to Hadi's message," he added.

Rahim was commenting on the call by PAS leaders to form an RCI on the Memali incident, which claimed 18 lives, including four police personnel, in 1985.

Meanwhile, Idris reminded Rahim that Ibrahim Libya was not ignorant in matters pertaining to Islam.

“He possessed high qualifications. He had studied in India and Libya. He used to work with Pusat Islam, and later resigned to serve the villagers.

“What is certain is that Ibrahim Libya was a pious man with good character. He had never beaten anyone to the point of suffering serious injuries like Anwar,” he added.

Ironically, it was an RCI in 1999 which found that Rahim had assaulted Anwar. Previously, Mahathir had said the injury could have been self-inflicted.