After former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad blamed muftis for failing to prevent the Memali incident, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said their silence was due to political interference that was rife during Mahathir’s rule.

Hadi said there was no separation of powers at the time, and there was political interference in administrative affairs.

“This resulted in judges being sacked, the inspector-general being unable to do the necessary, and even when the muftis want to speak they kept quiet instead.

“It was safer that way. That was the climate at the time,” he told a press conference in PAS’ headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today...