Raja Abdullah saw this as an act of defiance by Raja Mahdi towards him. This incident, exacerbated by Raja Mahdi's continued dissatisfaction with being ignored as the successor to Sultan Muhammad for the Selangor throne following his death in 1857, in favour of the then Raja Abdul Samad (later became Sultan Abdul Samad), as well as further conflicts between their followers, worsened the already tense relationship between the two princes, which many believe were the initial causes for the outbreak of the Klang War.
Raja Abdullah viewed Raja Mahdi's actions as a deliberate act of defiance, fueled by Raja Mahdi's long-standing resentment over being passed over as successor to Sultan Muhammad of Selangor in favor of Raja Abdul Samad after his death in 1857. This simmering tension was further aggravated by conflicts between their respective supporters, ultimately contributing to the escalating tensions that led to the Klang War.