AFTER the “flares and chairs” ruckus at the Nothing to Hide 2.0 forum in Shah Alam on Sunday, Pakatan Harapan will deploy 100 youths to oversee security at tomorrow’s ceramah featuring Dr Mahathir Mohamad in Kepala Batas, Penang.

The Jelajah Rakyat roadshow in Bertam is the first major outing by the PH chairman after shoes were hurled at him at the forum in Shah Alam.

Dr Mahathir said he will not allow the incident to stop him from speaking out on issues affecting the country. After Penang tomorrow, he is expected to hold another ceramah in Ipoh on Sunday. 

Penang Bersatu information chief Yaakob Osman said the party’s Youth wing will handle security at tomorrow’s event at the MPSP Sports Complex. 

Armada will also work with youth from coalition member parties – PKR, DAP and Amanah – to ensure no untoward incident happens at the event that is expected to draw in a large crowd.

“There will be about 100 PH Youth members on duty. They will watch the venue and those attending for suspicious individuals. 

“We can’t screen the people but we can watch if they carry anything strange. We will also keep a lookout for people we have never seen before but wearing Bersatu shirts and behaving suspiciously. 

“We will also ask those attending to be alert of their surroundings and people around them. After Sunday’s incident in Shah Alam, we can’t take things for granted,” he said. 

Yaakob also told The Malaysian Insight that Penang Bersatu has written to the Seberang Prai Utara district police chief to seek assistance. 

“We are asking for uniformed policemen to watch the ceramah venue. Our Kepala Batas division chief recently met with the deputy district police chief to discuss the matter.”

In Sunday’s ruckus, three youths remanded by the police were allegedly given T-shirts with the word “Armada” on them, referring to Bersatu’s Youth wing. 

It was also reported that the teens aged between 17 and 19 were paid RM50 each to attend the forum. Police have, to date, arrested 13 people in connection with incident.

Tomorrow’s ceramah will also feature Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin, Bersatu deputy president Mukhriz Mahathir and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, who is also Penang chief minister. 

Dr Mahathir’s last visit to Penang was at the state Bersatu Hari Raya open house in George Town. He previously spoke at a ceramah in Tasek Gelugor near Kepala Batas. Both attracted large crowds. 

Both Kepala Batas and Tasek Gelugor are the only two Umno-controlled parliamentary seats on mainland Penang. Umno also control the state seats there. – August 17, 2017.