COMMENT | The legion of youths in Pakatan Harapan will be unhappy with my statement but let me say it anyway.

I am extremely disappointed with the organisers of the 'Tangkap Azam Baki' rally held on Jan 22 in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur. To me, they created a public nuisance.

Why do I say so? Because of the hype leading up to the rally, where it was reported that 33 NGOs and several political parties were behind it, Bukit Aman decided to deploy more than 1,000 police officers to man roadblocks and manage the event.

But how many participants actually turned up? Only about 200 (as reported by Malaysiakini). By all accounts, the protest was a failure. It achieved nothing but to create a public nuisance.

Think of the strain on our public purse when 1,000 police officers have to be deployed to handle a rally involving just 200 participants. It doesn’t make sense.

(What makes sense is when you have a public rally like Bersih with 500,000 protesters. Then, deploying 5,000 police officers and imposing a city lockdown does not only make sense but is necessary and understandable.)

To the youths, think carefully before you organise any public gathering. I would also be prepared to organise a peaceful protest if it is seriously warranted for the greater societal good.

Before that, I must have confidence that the event will achieve its desired purpose and its after-effects are impactful. Anything less is a...