The former prime minister argued today in a posting on his popular blog that the public must accept limits to their freedom, amid a series of challenges in recent years to the policies of the Barisan Nasional (BN) government's policies and conduct.

If democracy is to survive and to serve the purpose for which it is devised, there must be some acceptance of the limits to the freedom that we consider democratic.

The world needs to make up its mind. Do we elect government by voting or do we install government through street demonstrations? Dr Mahathir said.

Race and religious tension has been on the rise in recent years with challenges to government policy which has been seen as marginalising non-Malays and non-Muslims.

There have also been widespread concerns about electoral fraud and unfair polls practises resulting in massive street demonstrations by electoral reform group Bersih.

The ruling BN lost its customary two-thirds parliamentary majority in Election 2008 and that was repeated in last year's elections. In Election 2013 the BN coalition also lost the popular vote.

Dr Mahathir, who was known for his authoritarian administration, has been arguing in recent times for strong government.

In his latest blog post today, he said free speech, free press, demonstrations and strikes must be circumscribed to some degree so that they will not destroy democracies in the name of democracy.

In a non-democratic totalitarian state such massive demonstrations may be justified as there is no other way to change governments. But now even when elections can determine changes in governments, the losers in democratic elections have resorted to these disruptive acts.

Dr Mahathir claimed the series of Bersih demonstrations were obviously meant to excite public support to discredit the government and eventually to bring it down.

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Dr M: Restrict freedom of speech and a free press to safeguard democracy