COMMENT As the dust settles on yesterday’s highly anticipated showdown between the ex-premier and the current one, the official line has been that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak could not turn up for “security reasons”.

Even if the clash of words did not materialise, which instead fizzled into a truncated monologue by Dr Mahathir Mohamad, those who were at PWTC yesterday morning would agree there were grounds for concern.

The situation did turn chaotic at the forum titled ‘Nothing to Hide: PM's Dialogue with NGOs’. Journalists were shoved against the wall and tables, with some even losing their shoes, from all the pushing in the overflowing hall.

The 2,000-strong crowd was angry too; they shouted and drowned out the emcee. But despite the jostling for space, the apparent chaos only came about after the emcee announced the police decision to cancel the event...