Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia's Youth wing will be holding a second ‘Nothing to Hide’ forum by the end of the month, featuring the party's chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Announcing the forum today, Bersatu Youth chief Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman challenged Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to attend the forum saying that it would be a good opportunity for the latter to clear his name.

"We ourselves will ensure that Mahathir would attend the forum.

“But we hope that just as we had agreed to be open and transparent when others have challenged us to be open and transparent, Najib and the Umno-BN leadership also needs to bring the same openness to answer difficult questions from the media and the people of Malaysia as a whole.

"If Najib insists on not attending the forum [...], we would still continue with the forum and we will ensure that the rakyat see who are the cowards, and who are the ones on the right side," he told a press conference at Bersatu's headquarters in Petaling Jays today.

This follows Youth exco member Muhammad Hafiz Azhar's call yesterday for Mahathir and Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin to respond to allegations against them.

The allegations concern Mahathir's children's alleged wealth and Muhyiddin’s alleged affair.

Muhyiddin had dismissed the allegation as "malicious slander", while Mahathir's son and Bersatu deputy president Mukhriz Mahathir had previously accepted a challenge to debate allegations regarding his wealth, but the debate was scuttled by the police.

Syed Saddiq chastised Hafiz for using the wrong platform to raise his questions, but said the people are entitled to question Bersatu's leadership.

At the same time, he said the people are likewise entitled to question Najib's leadership.

The previous ‘Nothing to Hide’ forum was held on June 5, 2015 at Umno’s headquarters in the Putra World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur.

It was organised by the law-based NGO SukaGuam as a platform for civil society groups, including Mahathir, to grill Najib. Najib had supposedly agreed to appear at the forum.

However, Najib did not turn up at the forum, and Mahathir took to the stage instead to address the audience of approximately 2,000 people until the police stopped him from continuing his speech.

Police at the time cited security concerns as the reason for cancelling the forum. Inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar at the time claimed Najib was unhappy with his move to have the event cancelled, but said he persisted for the sake of safety and security, as well as to preserve harmony.

The aborted forum also saw a commotion when a man started shouting and had to be taken away by security personnel.

Since then, there have been attempts to hold similar ‘Nothing to Hide’ dialogues, but none has materialised.

Najib given two weeks

Meanwhile, Syed Saddiq said Bersatu Youth will send an invitation to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) tomorrow, and Najib would be given two weeks to respond.

He also pledged to provide updates on the time and venue for the debate in a few days, depending on the feedback received particularly from the PMO. Bersatu Youth also intends to apply for a police permit once details are finalised.

The forum, said Syed Saddiq, will proceed within a month even if Najib declines.

Noting that the police had intervened to stop past forums between opposition and BN top leaders, Syed Saddiq expressed hope their forum would not suffer the same fate.

“Mahathir had spoken openly without any bodyguards in many places. There were masses (in attendance).

“In Kedah there were tens of thousands, and there wasn’t a problem. I think such a forum wouldn’t be an issue.

“I think the problem is when Najib uses the police to sidestep key questions from the people and the media. (Therefore) I think this is an opportunity for himself to clear his good name.

“If he does not attend, then clearly there is a problem,” he said.