Avoiding rabble-rousers cannot be reason to bar the debate between cabinet minister Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz and former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, said Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng.

Lim, who is also a practicing lawyer, said that the primary duty of the police was to go after those who break the law, not "running away" from suspects.

"We didn't ban (former US president Barrack) Obama nor other royal and foreign dignitaries from visiting Malaysia just because there were possibilities of threats against them. The police handled these situations effortlessly.

"If the police now decide otherwise, perhaps we should cancel all future Football Association of Malaysia matches because there are possibilities of trouble-making fans turning unruly," said Lim in a statement today.

Lim said that the 18 police reports against the debate, which the police cited as among the reasons for calling off the event, should have led to arrests that would ensure the safety of the event.

"However, if the reports are based on fake information, the complainants must be investigated for making false reports," said Lim.

He said debates on current affairs should be allowed to encourage government accountability and the police had a responsibility to ensure security at such events.

Right to speak deserves protection too

Meanwhile, Machang Bubuk state assemblyperson Lee Khai Loon rubbished claims that the event cannot be held due to security threats because debate organisers are limiting the audience to invited guests only.

He added that the police are setting a bad precedent and future events may face the same fate.

"The police must be neutral and ensure public order. The police cannot decide whether a debate can go on or not.

"Regardless of who is speaking, the police should ensure that their right to speak must be protected," he said.

The highly-anticipated debate between Mohamed Nazri and Mahathir was initially scheduled for March 25 but postponed to April 7 after the police said that it could not be held due to security concerns.

After providing a conditional approval on March 31 for the rescheduled debate, the police ordered organisers to cancel the event just 24 hours later.

Several lawyers have opined that there are no provisions under the law which the police can use to bar the event from taking place.