Najib explains his no-show

PM explains via Facebook why he was unable to attend the Nothing2Hide dialogue this morning.

KUALA LUMPUR: After a highly charged day of chaos and criticism, Prime Minister Najib Razak has finally spoken up about the reason behind his decision to forgo the public dialogue Nothing2Hide this morning despite an earlier confirmation from him that he would attend.

In a brief statement on Facebook, Najib stated his belief that in order for any meeting or dialogue to yield beneficial results, it must first and foremost be held in a suitable and calm environment.

“If we are sincere and open minded, discussions and dialogue can bring about benefits together,” he said to stress that it was his sincere intention to attend the event.

He also said, “I am always ready and committed to meet and have dialogues with non-governmental organisations to discuss issues pertaining to the country and the people.”

The dialogue session was however called off by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Khalid Abu Bakar, who cited security concerns after reports that two opposing groups were expected to cause a ruckus outside of the venue.

In a twist of events, former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad, a vocal critic of Najib and his handling of 1MDB, suddenly turned up uninvited and spoke to the crowds later when the event was officially declared cancelled by the police.

Needless to say the cancellation of the dialogue, and the police barring Mahathir from speaking inside the hall, left many attendees and NGO’s disappointed and angry.

Former UMNO leader, Khairuddin Abu Hassan in particular had harsh words for Najib, calling him a coward and insisting he step down.

The dialogue for now at least, has been postponed indefinitely.