HE smiled when shoes were thrown at him and flares were lit while he was on stage.

He was the picture of calm while chaos erupted around him, testifies a member of the audience at the Nothing to Hide Forum 2.0  in Shah Alam, yesterday.

Clearly, the 92-year-old Dr Mahathir Mohamad is unfazed. Nothing will make him retreat, not even yesterday’s ugly incident.

Instead he will hit the road again on Friday for the Save Malaysia, Save the People roadshow, or Jelajah Semarak, in Penang, a senior aide to the Pakatan Harapan chairman told The Malaysian Insight.

And he will tell the crowd what he has been saying for months: the Najib administration has to be brought down in the next polls.

The former prime minister and his colleagues in the Pakatan coalition have said that they will not be cowed or intimidated by yesterday’s violence. 

They are determined to continue with their campaign to explain to Malaysians the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal.

“Nothing has changed,” Dr Mahathir’s aide said.

“We will have an internal discussion on a few procedures along with other issues related to today’s incident.”

The aide said he was unable to speak to Dr Mahathir immediately after the incident at the Selangor Youth and Culture Complex.

“But I was informed the former prime minister and wife Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali are well.”

Bersatu launched the Semarak series of roadshows in Pasir Puteh, Kelantan on April 14 with one goal: to increase public awareness of alleged funds misappropriation by Barisan Nasional.

The roadshows also aim to introduce to the people the party Bersatu, which turns one this month. 

Bersatu was formed by Dr Mahathir after he left Umno.

The young political party became a member of Pakatan in March, joining DAP,  PKR, and Amanah.

Yesterday’s forum began peacefully enough at 4pm.

Dr Mahathir had time to answer about eight questions before unknown individuals among the audience threw shoes at the stage where he was seated with moderator Azhar Harun.

The situation turned chaotic when flares were lit and chairs thrown into the crowd. 

Dr Mahathir, his wife and other Pakatan leaders were quickly escorted out of the hall.

Bersatu security personnel nabbed three youths believed to have started the ruckus, and handed them over to the police.

Two of them are said to be college students. – August 14, 2017.