Dr M: Chairs, flares aimed at empty seat for Najib, not me

The former PM alleges that the perpetrators of last Sunday's violence were paid and trained to riot.

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PUTRAJAYA: PPBM leader Mahathir Mohamad claims he was unshaken by the fracas at last Sunday’s Nothing to Hide forum and has laughed it off with a jab at Prime Minister Najib Razak for his absence from the event.

In an interview with FMT at his Perdana Leadership Foundation office, the former prime minister gave his version of what happened.

“I was standing, answering questions on Memali when they started throwing chairs and bottles. But, strangely, they didn’t throw them in my direction. They threw them to the right side of me, which was an empty chair meant for Najib.

“Maybe their aim was poor, maybe their eyesight was poor, but the trajectory of their missiles was quite wrong. They were not directed at me.”

The fracas broke out after Mahathir explained that the police in the 1985 Memali incident had merely defended themselves when attacked by villagers armed with parangs. Fourteen villagers died in the tragedy, along with four policemen.

The disturbance at Sunday’s forum ended the event, with Mahathir being rushed off the stage by members of the organiser’s security detail. Mahathir said they were worried for his safety, but claimed that he wasn’t.

“What is there to be afraid of? The chairs didn’t hit me, the bottles didn’t reach me. They were all to my right. And to my right was the empty chair.

“So I will continue with what I have to do. I know these people were paid and trained to riot.

Mahathir said the incident pointed towards an escalation of political violence and he alleged that the authorities were doing nothing to stop it.

He said it was absurd of Umno leaders to say that the disturbance at the forum was planned by PPBM, which organised the event.

“But of course, telling lies is something that is very common among government leaders now,” he added.- FMT