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strong>Sept. 1, p2

Malaysia'€™s prime minister vowed he would not quit over a US$700-million financial scandal and accused protesters of showing '€œpoor national spirit'€ by holding a massive rally to demand his resignation on the eve of the country'€™s national day on Monday.

After a weekend of demonstrations, the government took back the streets of Kuala Lumpur, with Prime Minister Najib Razak and his Cabinet ministers attending a gala parade involving 13,000 people. They watched jets whizz by above the landmark Independence Square, which over the weekend was surrounded by tens of thousands of protesters.

In his national day speech late Sunday, Najib slammed protesters for showing a '€œshallow mind and poor national spirit.'€ He said the protests could disrupt public order and were not the right way to show unhappiness in a democratic country.

Najib said Malaysia was not a failed state and slammed protesters for tarnishing the country'€™s image. He vowed to not bow to pressure.

Your comments:

The value of the ringgit has plummeted to a record low, Malaysia'€™s national debt has burgeoned to uncontrollable heights, foreign investors are selling down and fleeing the market with their funds and hundreds of thousands of graduates are unemployed.

Yet, Najib and his defense minister cousin Hishammuddin Hussein are to meet with the French defense minister on Sept. 1 to discuss and purchase a Mistral-class aircraft carrier, Dassault-built Rafale jet fighters costing 1 billion ringgit each, new helicopters to replace the Sikorsky Sea Kings and new transport planes to replace Hercules C-130 transport planes.

I pray Indonesian leaders do not get infected by this '€œcorruption virus'€ that eats brain cells and makes leaders go crazy. The only cure for the virus is prayer. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, such was the case with Idi Amin Dada, Ferdinand Marcos, Husni Mubarak and even Soeharto. The army, police and judiciary are all in their control. Such leaders take, plunder, steal, cheat and kill if they wish.

Najib can say anything but ultimately it will be the Malaysians who will decide and hopefully it will be a peaceful transition.

SM

Malaysia is sounding like communist China. The mandate is in the hands of the Malaysian people.

SD

For the tired and disappointed people on the streets, fingers crossed.

Munken

It is the time for the Malaysian to rise and fight the corrupt dictator of Malaysia.

Muhammad Abdul Malik

'€œThey want to discredit our good name, scribble black coal on Malaysia'€™s face to the outside world'€. What a classic example of Samuel Johnson'€™s 1775 quote: '€œPatriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel'€. Any other examples closer to home?

Fred Herring

An honest demonstration. Unlike the ones here where you have hired protesters.

Keris P.

When will '€œBersih Indonesia'€™'€™ start? Until Indonesians rise up against corruption, Indonesia will remain a lower-income country.

Lasem Benny

One thing the Indonesian elite has done a better job of than Malaysians is keeping the masses dumb.

Batavian

I doubt that will happen as Jokowi is still popular and leadership can be changed easily through elections. Malaysia is such a corrupt and dictatorial regime with rigged elections that it needs massive demonstrations to push for change.

Fanta

Sometimes when a dictator removes their threats from within the government machine, people don'€™t react much.

If he indeed jails Malaysians that protested abroad and the local protest leaders, people will take offense and the opposition will grow, leading to violence.

This will not go away and will grow as ethnic Malays start joining the opposition. I don'€™t think Najib has a few years left to be honest.

Simaging

Yup, he might end up in a cell next to Anwar Ibrahim. His days are numbered.

Aero Fredly