Voices Of Dissent In Malaysia Sign of Matured Democracy

From Mikhail Raj Abdullah HONOLULU, Nov 14 (Bernama) -- The so-called voices of dissent by various groups in Malaysia is a sign of a matured economy but they must be responsible and adhere to the rule of law in being able to air their grouses freely, said Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. Dismissing the notion that such voices of dissent, which seem to contradict each other were a copycat of the Arab spring, he said that Malaysia does not stifle dissent. Instead, it has in place a matured democracy which allows dissenting voices to go through the political process, he said during a question-and-answer session after delivering a speech on the "Global Movement of the Moderates" at the East-West Center here on Saturday. Turning to the economy, he said that the Economic Transformation Programme with a projected 5-6 per cent growth, annually, will help the country to reduce its national debt over the years. He also said that China should be seen as an opportunity to increase market share and not as a threat as its growth and economic dominance is inevitable. "The best way is to engage China," he said, alluding to its four billion population which offers immense opportunities as a consumer market. -- BERNAMA