T

he recent '€œNothing2Hide'€ Forum that never was has preoccupied an entire nation'€™s concerned citizens.

Conversation in person and on online news portals and social media is gushing with condemnation for Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and the country'€™s police. Let us not try to sound politically correct by denying the reality on the ground.

The insults can be summarized as follows:

One, the prime minister agreed to use the forum to help concerned citizens to better understand his version of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) debacle. But he did not turn up or even send a representative to speak on his behalf or announce his absence.

Two, the police gave the permit for the NGO to organize the event. And it was to be held right within the compound vicinity of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) headquarters, Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC). So how could it not be secure? And the audience was not in the tens of thousands as in the days of the reformasi outbreak.

Three, this event was proudly paraded to the public following hot on the heels of Arul Kanda'€™s seemingly detailed explanation of the books of 1MDB and the earlier proud announcement of an apparent local public relations guru hired to prop up Najib.

Not only did the prime minister not show up, to make the insults even more hurtful, the police tweeted that the show had to be cancelled and cited '€œsecurity'€ as the reason.

What also cuts a deep wound in the hearts of the citizens is the manner in which the police on duty were instructed to stop former prime minister Mahathir Mohammad'€™s speech.

Is it then any wonder that in response the first, courageous Royal Crown Prince has openly returned fire at Najib with a thundering '€œeverything to hide'€ blast? Kudos to the royalty!

How much longer must we reel and twist in agony with this 1MDB debacle and the way the prime minister and the police are insulting this nation'€™s people?

How much longer must we tolerate all the insults thrown at Mahathir, who is only echoing the people'€™s concerns owing to his deep sense of remorse for putting Najib at the helm of the country? Online media is almost choking with expressions of concerns from netizens.

But the government of the day continues to keep insulting the people with its mainstream '€œfeel-good'€ news instead.

The prime minister should step down out of patriotism and a sense of duty to the nation. Please do not hold 30 million people to ransom. The increasing multitude of citizens cannot be wrong.

JD Lovrenciear
Kuala Lumpur