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 perceived Raja Mahdi's action as a challenge to his authority. This incident, compounded by Raja Mahdi's persistent dissatisfaction with being overlooked as the successor to Sultan Muhammad of Selangor following his death in 1857, in favor of Raja Abdul Samad (who later became Sultan Abdul Samad), and further conflicts between their supporters, intensified an already strained relationship between the two princes, which many believe were the root causes for the outbreak of the Klang War.