The bloody incident in Kampung Memali which happened 33 years ago will not be an issue at the 14th general elections, said a PKR MP today.

Sungai Petani parliamentarian Johari Abdul said that at the height of the Memali incident in the 1980s, PAS only won one seat at the national polls.

Johari added that although PAS leaders were victims of the tragedy where a total of 18 people - including four policemen - had died, many have forgotten about this while the youths were not aware of the issue.

"It was clearly a tragic story but it did not translate into votes," Johari said in an interview at his service centre in Sungai Petani, Kedah.

"PAS rode on the issue but in reality they could relate the incidents to the youths of today.

"PAS made inroads into Kedah and won the state after working in coalitions with Umno splinter party Semangat 46 and later Pakatan Rakyat," he added.

However, PKR's opponent BN views the Memali incident differently, with Kedah Menteri Besar Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah (photo) vowing to form a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to probe the incident.

His proposal came a long time after families of the victims made calls for the tragedy to be investigated thoroughly and for an RCI to be formed for the task.

Johari said Memali was not only a highly politicised event, but it was largely criminal in nature and involved the police.

"It was not as simple as Umno killing PAS members at the time.

"That is why PAS did not win Baling despite the issue being highlighted over and over again," he said.

"PAS won Baling due to Barisan Alternatif's influence in 2004," he added.

There were attempts by certain quarters to blame former premier cum Bersatu chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamed (photo) for the incident.

But Johari said, "He has explained the issue very well, saying there was ample warning given to the villagers before the riots started".

Mahathir has been at loggerheads with PAS over the issue and has accused PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang of having instigated his members into a clash with the authorities with the latter's infamous 'Amanat Hadi' of the time.

Amanat Hadi is the infamous sermon that had preceded the clash between armed followers of Kedah PAS leader Ibrahim Mahmud (or Ibrahim Libya) and the police, who were attempting to arrest him.

PAS will be facing off with its former allies in Kedah, and has teamed up with Parti Cinta Malaysia and Ikatan to forum Gagasan Sejahtera, which it describes as the "third block".

PAS and DAP split in 2015 over the hudud issue and the Islamic party eventually broke ties with its ally PKR last year, leading to the breakup of Pakatan Rakyat and the formation of Pakatan Harapan.

Harapan, a coalition of DAP, PKR and Amanah, is a progressive breakaway from PAS and is currently joined by Bersatu.

Mahathir has been appointed the coalition's prime minister and is reportedly eyeing a seat in the state while leading the charge in Kedah for GE14, with his son, former Kedah menteri besar Muhkriz Mahathir.

Currently, BN holds 20 state seats, PKR 4, DAP 2, Bersatu 2, Amanah 1 and PAS 7.

BN holds 10 parliamentary seats, PKR 4 and PAS nil, after its Pokok Sena MP Mahfuz Omar quit the party this year.