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Saturday, 23 July 2011

Najib Explains To British PM On Real Intention Of Illegal Rally

SEPANG, July 22 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said he had explained to his British counterpart David Cameron on the real intention of the illegal rally in the federal capital on July 9, during his four-day official visit to the United Kingdom recently.

During his meeting at No. 10 Downing Street on Thursday, Najib said Cameron had asked him many questions including on the illegal rally organised by the unregistered body.

"I had told the British Prime Minister that we have room for dissent in Malaysia," he said when sharing his experience with almost 3,000 people who had greeted him at the KL International Airport on his return after concluding his visits to three countries namely Turkmenistan, the United Kingdom and Italy for eight days.

Also on hand to welcome him and his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor were his deputy Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and his wife, Puan Sri Norainee Abdul Rahman.

Najib said that as the government, the question of public order must be protected and at the same time giving space for the people to express their dissatisfaction.

"I told him that we had offered a stadium but they (demonstrators) had rejected. They wanted the Merdeka Stadium because their intention was merely to hold the procession. Later they provoked the police. Make the police angry. When the police took action, they took photographs and posted them on the youtube and they said it was police brutality," Najib said.

Najib said Cameron was also told that the rally by the unregistered body was actually not to demand for electoral reforms.

"They were more keen to show that the Malaysian government is like that of the Middle East. They depicted the Malaysian government as autocratic. Actually, they want to wrest power from us who were chosen by the people," he said.

He said the British Prime Minister was also told that the Malaysian government always upheld the principles of democracy.

"I said that we had never cheated in the general election in Malaysia. Elections in Malaysia have always been a clean election," added Najib.

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