Malaysia's record of democracy and free speech is strong

On August 31st Malaysia marked 60 years of independence, and along with a record haul of medals at the SEA Games, we also celebrated six decades of our country being a stable democracy and a free society. In fact, when it comes to fiercely fought elections and the freedom to speak your mind, Malaysia has the strongest and longest democratic record in the whole of Southeast Asia. Our past elections show this, with different parties winning different states and prominent politicians losing their seats; for no results can be guaranteed in a free democratic vote. It is up to the people to choose, and that is a record of which all Malaysians should be proud.

In recent weeks, however, it appears that the political Opposition does not share that respect for our tradition of democracy. They and their allies have sought to blacken our country's name in the American media, making a series of wild claims, culminating in the false claim that Malaysia is in danger of sliding into dictatorship.