In a statement last week, Musa said he had asked Dr Mahathir to put off his China trip and cited three reasons: the incident had taken place in the prime minister’s home state of Kedah; it had involved Malay Muslims; and the postponement would convey the perception that the head of the country’s government’s concern and priority for a domestic crisis.
The day before Dr Mahathir’s trip to China, the police and residents in Memali clashed resulting in the death of several policemen and civilians, including local PAS leader Ibrahim Mahmud — also known as Ibrahim Libya.