DR Mahathir Mohamad reacted strongly for the first time since the Nothing To Hide 2.0 forum last weekend where slippers and chairs were thrown at him, saying the incident will not stop him from speaking out against injustices.
The Pakatan Harapan and Bersatu chairman said he will not be fazed by the violence and will continue to speak frankly.
“I’m very frank, I will speak what I think is the truth, I don’t care about people’s reaction. The truth must be told,” he said in a video posted on his Twitter account.
This is the first time Dr Mahathir has come out to speak of the incident, which took place at the Raja Muda Musa Hall in Shah Alam last Sunday.
“We must speak the truth if not, the society will be ruled by immorality,” the 92-year-old former prime minister said, adding that fear of telling the truth would only ruin society.
Sunday’s forum was meant to be an open debate between Dr Mahathir and his former protégé-now-turned-nemesis, Prime Minister Najib Razak. Najib did not attend.
The event began peacefully about 4pm and Dr Mahathir answered about eight questions before unknown individuals in the audience threw shoes in his direction.
Chaos quickly erupted as more objects were thrown around the hall, including chairs and flares. Dr Mahathir, his wife and other Bersatu leaders were quickly escorted to safety.
PH leaders were quick to blame Umno for instigating the ruckus, and were quickly countered with accusations that Bersatu had planned it to gain sympathy.
A few Umno leaders, however, have condemned the violence, such as Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Communications and Multimedia Minister Salleh Said Keruak and Umno Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin.
Three youths were arrested after the incident and the number of those detained as of today has risen to seven, according to Bernama.
Yesterday, a police source told The Malaysian Insight that the three youths, who are not Bersatu members, were part of a larger group gathered in Setiawangsa and paid RM50 each to go to the forum.
Dr Mahathir is expected to hit the road again on Friday for the Save Malaysia, Save the People roadshow, or Jelajah Semarak in Penang, one of his aides told The Malaysian Insight. – August 15, 2017.