The ruckus and pandemonium at the 1MDB “Nothing to Hide 2.0” forum has served to further highlight Najib’s prevarications and dishonesty on the 1MDB scandal which caused Malaysia to be belittled world-wide as global kleptocracy overnight

The ruckus and pandemonium at the 1MDB “Nothing to hide 2.0” forum at Shah Alam on Sunday has served to further highlight the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s prevarications and dishonesty on the international multi-billion dollar 1MDB money-laundering scandal which caused Malaysia to be belittled world-wide as a global kleptocracy overnight.

If the 1MDB “Nothing to hide 2.0” forum, where the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak dared not turn up although he was invited to share the panel with former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, had not been sabotaged, it would just be a footnote in the long saga of multifarious activities and events by loyal and patriotic Malaysians to ensure full accountability and responsibility for the 1MDB scandal.

Now the 1MDB “Nothing to hide 2.0” forum has been elevated as one of key events to demand full accountability and responsibility for the 1MDB scandal, as it has further highlighted both Najib’s role and his evasion of responsibility and full accountability for the kleptocratic scandal.

I fully share the outrage of decent and rational Malaysians at the sabotage of the 1MDB “Nothing to Hide 2.0” forum, and particularly the planned attacks on the 92-year old former premier.

The news portals and social media conveyed many of these outrages.

For instance, among the expressions of outrage were the following reactions by Malaysiakini readers:

“Anonymous_1395464675: Who could have paid these uncivilised people to do such an act to an ex-premier of our country?

“If this is how the country is managed, soon we won't need the police to ensure security as these people have full power to do whatever they want and no action would be taken.”

“David Dass: Many of us did not agree with many of the things Dr Mahathir Mohamad did in his time as PM. But it is not in our culture to show him disrespect or cause him harm. In fact, this whole business of violence and threats of violence should cease.

“If we are to be a developed country then we must also see ourselves as a civilised country that eschews violence as a way of stifling dissent.

“Roar For Truth: Where is the police protection for Mahathir, the longest serving former prime minister? Vindictive politics aside, please respect the office and the former PMs.

“Tyrant: This incident proves the police have failed spectacularly. Pakatan Harapan, please organise Nothing to Hide 3 as the Umno ground is being shaken to the core, and it seems they have everything to hide and are extremely worried about the event.

“The rakyat are not retarded. I find it really puzzling to see Umno, a 60-year-old party being so worried sick of a newly-formed coalition like Harapan. Just how desperate and despotic could Umno get? Shouldn't they feel ashamed?”

I do not think there are many like me who have criticised the things Dr. Mahathir had done when he was Prime Minister for 22 years, as I had paid a heavy price for it, not only my own incarceration under the Internal Security Act (OSA), but also Lim Guan Eng’s detention under the ISA during Operation Lalang, conviction and sentence to 18 months’ jail in Kajang Prison and disenfranchisement of his civil rights to vote and be elected for five years for defending the dignity of an underaged Malay girl.

But we must never lose sight of our vision to make Malaysia great again, to become a world example of a successful, united, harmonious, democratic, just, prosperous and progressive nation created out of diverse races, languages, religions and cultures.

We must learn from the mistakes of the past so that we can succeed in achieving the great Malaysian dream in the foreseeable future.

For this reason, all Malaysians must learn from the past to create a new future for all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region, and it is this great national task that all the four component parties of Pakatan Harapan are engaged in.

I cannot but feel pity for the three youths aged 17, 18 and 19, who had been detained by the police and under a four-day remand for the ruckus at the 1MDB “Nothing to hide 2.0” forum.

These three youths, two of whom are college students in Kuala Lumpur, and a third with a criminal record, were among youths who were paid RM50 each to cause trouble at the 1MDB “Nothing to hide 2.0” forum, who had waited in Setiawangsa before the forum and handed out T-shirts with the Bersatu logo.

It is utterly irresponsible for the UMNO “masterminds” of the ruckus at the 1MDB “Nothing to hide 2.0” forum to treat the youths as “expendable mercenaries” who could be paid to sabotage the 1MDB forum.

Will these UMNO “masterminds” come to bail out the detained youths?

Of course not, and this is why UMNO Ministers and leaders are hard at work issuing statements denying that UMNO was involved. However, a nincompoop in the MCA leadership fell victim to the latest UMNO propangada onslaught of lies, fake news and false information and issued a statement questioning if the violence that erupted at the “Shah Alam forum, which witnessed flares ignited and chairs being thrown, was intended for the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak as well”.

I agree with Pribumi Bersatu President, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin that the claim that Bersatu had perpetrated the violence at the 1MDB “Nothing to hide 2.0” forum were made by “crazy” people.

Such “crazy” people are not just confined to UMNO grassroots like the Sungai Besar UMNO chief Jamal Mohd Yunos but reaches to top UMNO leadership, including Ministers like the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan and the press secretary to the Prime Minister, Tengku Sharifuddin Tengku Ahmad who made the most idiotic statement claiming that the “chaos” at the 1MDB “Nothing to hide 2.0” forum was a case of the opposition supporters turning on each other.

Malaysians politics have descended to a new low in gutter and thuggish politics.

If we want to reverse this slide, and return to “mature politics”, then the “masterminds” of the 1MDB “Nothing to Hide 2.9” forum ruckus should be ferreted out and charged - not just the foolish three youths who allowed themselves to become tools of the “masterminds” for the “princely wage” of RM50 each!