IT was a surreal moment when slippers started flying into the air.

The Nothing To Hide 2.0 forum was well into its first hour, with Dr Mahathir Mohamad engaging audience members, mainly over Prime Minister Najib Razak’s role in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal (1MDB), before it was brought to a grinding halt just before 5.30pm.

The final question from the floor was about the Memali incident, a police siege in a village in Baling, Kedah, in 1985 against an Islamic sect that had resulted in the deaths of 18 people including four police officers.

A pair of slippers was then followed by more shoes and a bottle, which were thrown by at least two youths according to eyewitnesses The Malaysian Insight spoke to.

The footwear flew in an arc and some landed on the stage where Dr Mahathir stood. Things escalated when eyewitnesses saw three youths begin to throw cushioned steel chairs, some directly at audience members.

“The shoes were still okay. I mean, remember Dr Mahathir’s spraying incident?” said Vivian Ho, a journalist with Kyodo News, referring to when the former prime minister was attacked with pepper spray in Kota Baru, Kelantan in 2006.

“The scary part was when the flares were used. If it had landed on someone’s head, that would have caused serious injuries,” Ho said.

The two lit flares were likely the magnesium-based type, said security personnel, which started a panic when audience members could not extinguish them with water. The floor was scorched and one chair was burnt through.

“It was shocking. One moment Dr Mahathir was speaking and then the place was glowing red. I admit, I was scared for my own safety,” said Saiful, one of a dozen Bersatu security personnel who escorted Dr Mahathir out.

The commotion was in full swing by then. All the VIPs, including DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang and former federal minister Zaid Ibrahim had already left when Bersatu members apprehended three youths, two wearing the Bersatu Youth (Armada) t-shirt in red, while another was wearing black.

“This is Umno. This is their culture,” said Bersatu member, Abdul Rashid Tasin, a lawyer.

Bersatu members screamed for no harm to be done to the youths apprehended, who were shirtless after apparently taking them off before attempting to escape.

Eyewitnesses believe more escaped.

“The shirts they wore, the red ones. They’re not ours,” said Redzuan Shafi, a party volunteer from Kuala Lumpur.

“It means they took the time to print out the fake shirts. It’s all clearly planned,” said Redzuan, 27.

Ashok Guevera, a Selangor Armada exco, said members would not be cowed.

“These are the acts of uncivilised people. They clearly want to intimidate and disrupt the forum. There will be another forum. We will not hide, we have nothing to hide. The truth will come out,” he said.

A videographer with an online news portal, who declined to be named, said, “Thankfully nothing happened.”

“My focus was on Dr Mahathir and then the shoes started flying. But he seemed calm, like he accepted it,” he said.

Sheena K. Subra, a PKR Lembah Pantai member, said, “Mahathir was not scared at all. In fact, he smiled. He stood firm,” she said.

“This is not a Malaysian behaviour. A true Malaysian will never behave like this. Najib was supposed to come, but instead of him, the hooligans came. This is just a taste of what might happen in the election.” – August 13, 2017.