Mahathir sprayed with pepper

An unidentified assailant attacked former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad with pepper spray on Friday in a northeast Malaysian city, witnesses and an aide said.

Mahathir had just arrived at the airport in Kota Bahru, the capital of Kelantan state, surrounded by about 1,000 cheering supporters, when an unidentified assailant fired pepper spray from a can at him, said a witness.

Mahathir, 81, staggered and choked from the acrid spray, and was immediately whisked away by his guards in a car, the witness said.

8216;8216;It was a pepper spray attack. It choked him and he could not breathe very well,8217;8217; said an aide.

He said Mahathir was taken to his hotel but was not hospitalised.