KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 13 ― Datuk Seri Najib Razak said Malaysia is now a fully mature democracy as the ruling government allows dissent, the national news agency reported today.According to Bernama Online, the prime minister said this after his speech on the “Global Movement of the Moderates” in Hawaii where he is attending the Asia Pacific Economic Caucus (APEC) Summit.
He (picture) dismissed the idea the voices of dissent back home signaled widespread public unhappiness with his government similar to that which caused the “Arab Spring” earlier this year.
The Najib administration came under heavy global criticism for clamping down on dissent last July 9 following the Bersih 2.0 street march in its capital city where police shot chemical-laced water and tear gas among thousands of civilians demanding cleaner elections.
Despite banning the civil society movement, Najib gave in to public pressure and established a bipartisan parliamentary team to review its electoral system. The inquiry kicked off last Friday and is ongoing.
The PM also announced the inaugural launch of an International Conference on the “Global Movement of the Moderates” here from January 17 to 19 next year.
Najib had mooted the idea at the United Nations General Assembly in Geneva last year.
He called on moderates to speak out and counter the rise of religion extremism.
Najib is expected to call for general elections in the next six months. He will be seeking his first mandate since taking over office from Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who stepped down in April 2009.
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