Beleaguered Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak on Monday refused to resign over a $700 million financial scandal and scorned protesters who took to the streets at the weekend to call for his dismissal over the issue, saying he will not let instigators destroy the nation.
As multi-ethnic Malaysia celebrated its National Day on Monday, Najib said such protests were “not the proper channel to voice opinions in a democratic country”.
“This country is built on the sacrifices of our heroes who had given their lives to ensure the people will be free and live in peace,” Najib said in his live address on television on the occasion.
Instead of his usual recorded message televised on the eve of National Day, Najib this year addressed the nation ‘live’ with a promise that he will not let Malaysia fail despite the shrinking currency and vowed not to let instigators destroy the nation.
The government reclaimed the streets of the capital today and staged its own show of force with colourful celebrations attended by thousands.
Asking people to use the ballot box to judge the government, he pleaded for calm so that he and his team could focus on ways to overcome the current challenges.
Najib also called on the people not to believe rumours that Malaysia would go bankrupt. “Such allegations are spread by those with certain agenda,” he said.
“We will never allow anyone from within or from outside, [to] simply walk in and steal, ruin or destroy all that we have built so far,” state news agency Bernama quoted Najib as saying.
“Let us all remember, if we are not united, lose our solidarity and cohesion, all problems will not be resolved, and everything we have laboriously built will be destroyed just like that.”
He said protests which “disrupt public order and only inconvenience the people” did not reflect maturity and were “not the proper channel to voice opinions in a democratic country”.
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets at the weekend, urging Najib to step down over allegations he took millions of dollars from a state fund.
Police said about 25,000 people took part in the two-day weekend demonstration organised by pro-democracy group Bersih [Clean]. The NGOs put the figure at 300,000.
Najib has denied taking 700 million dollars from a <g data-gr-id="30">debt ridden</g> state fund.