I refer to malaysiakini 's report Anwar returns home, supporters barred from airport .

Despite stern warnings from the police, more than 1,000 people slipped pass tight police cordon and were at the airport on Sunday to welcome back former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim from his umrah (minor pilgrimage) in Saudi Arabia.

I am glad that there were no 'incidences' as in the past. But what I cannot understand is why the police warning in the first place? If supporters want to welcome back a former deputy prime minister, so be it!

As long as it is well-organised, well-managed and there is an understanding between the police and the organisers that there would be no public disorder at a venue that is the 'gateway to Malaysia', the gathering should be allowed!

There is no reason to create a 'siege or security atmosphere' by any quarter. Have we not learnt any lessons from the past? Do we want to re-enact the ugly scenes of the past over prime-time television worldwide, since by now common sense will tell all of us that the international media will be there as well.

Let us for arguments' sake that about 20,000 people were at the airport to welcome Anwar back - 10,000 more than the send off - so what? It may only onfirm that he is 'not irrelevant' to Malaysian politics!

And, why are we creating a 'security situation' when there is none with all these unnecessary roadblocks? By all means, have the police around - both in uniform and undercover and in full gaze of the public - for the police have a duty to maintain 'law and order' and in an over-crowded situation, the organisers must remember anything is possible. All we need is an 'agent provocateur' at work and a peaceful situation can get inflamed and we cannot allow that.

However, the point I wish to make is that the manner in which the police warning went out sent the wrong signals to both the domestic and international observers at a time certain mainstream newspapers were "falling over each other" writing "feel-good stories" on the first-year anniversary of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.