Tengku Sariffuddin Tengku Ahmad claimed they were upset with PPBM chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s “inability to answer questions on scandals” during his 22 years as prime minister, such as the jailing of his former deputy Anwar Ibrahim and the Memali killings of 1985.
“The Nothing to Hide 2.0 forum instead became an ‘Everything to Hide’ forum,” he said in a statement today.
“PPBM was entirely responsible for the event, so to blame the pandemonium on Umno is an attempt by the opposition to cover up the shameless action of its own members,” he added.
“Pakatan Harapan (PH) is fundamentally divided. What else could be expected from a coalition that has been cobbled together as a marriage of convenience by former enemies who did everything to destroy each other for decades?” he said, referring to components PPBM, PKR, DAP and Amanah.
The event had been organised by PPBM Youth to allow Mahathir to address criticisms and queries directed against him and PH.
Sariffuddin also said PH leaders like PKR deputy president Azmin Ali had made “wild allegations” in blaming Umno for the incident.
“It is a clear attempt to divert attention from the disintegration of PPBM, and yet another example of the opposition’s reliance on creating hate and anger against the government at every possible opportunity,” he said.
“If Pakatan is unable to even organise its own forums without chaos, we can only imagine what they would do to Malaysia.
“It is clear that it would be a disaster for the country if the DAP-led opposition assumed power at the next general election,” he added.
The chaos started when two lighted flares with a pungent chemical odour were hurled, filling the Dewan Raja Muda Musa hall with smoke.
Chairs were reportedly thrown and punches were also said to have been traded as PPBM members rushed on to the stage to protect the 92-year-old leader.
In a police report lodged last night, PPBM Youth information chief Ulya Aqamah Husamudin said he had seen a group of teenagers in “fake” T-shirts of the wing gathering outside the hall before the forum started.
“But we gave them a chance to enter (the hall), based on our open policy so everyone gets to pose their questions to Tun Mahathir,” he said.
The event went well for about one and a half hours before some attendees threw bottles, slippers and chairs in Mahathir’s direction, he added.
“It was clear that the provocation was initiated by the group clad in the fake PPBM Youth T-shirts,” said Ulya.
Shah Alam district police chief Shafien Mamat yesterday said that three suspects, aged 17 to 19, had been detained by police to assist in their investigation and that two of them were students at a local private college.
Expert ties fiery end to forum to racial rhetoric against Mahathir