Freedom of speech must be suited and match Malaysian norms which are synonymous with good manners and noble values, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

He said this way, the freedom to express differences in opinions could be done wisely without inviting suspicions or prejudice.

"For democracy to truly function as it should, the people and media practitioners must uphold noble values so there are none among us who deviate (from these norms) or resort to abuse of power," he said in addressing the Malaysian Journalists Night 2013 here today.

He said demands for freedom of speech in the country not only arose due to globalisation but gained impetus because of access to the Internet, the people's higher socio-economic standing as well as education level.

He stressed that Malaysians wanted and could capitalise on freedom of speech by disseminating information that is accurate and did not lead to confusion.

"Freedom of speech must be suited and match Malaysian norms which are synonymous with good manners and noble values. Only then can we discuss important issues by way of dialogue when there is a difference in opinion among different groups," he said.

Najib said the landscape of the media and media organisations in the country had undergone rapid changes with the introduction of online media to complement the existing print and electronic media.

He added that anonymous writers in the social media had taken the opportunity to spread lies that could cause disunity and threaten the peace and harmony enjoyed by the people, compared with the mainstream media that continued to adhere to the ethics of journalism.

Najib therefore urged those using the social media as a tool to spread information, to remain steadfast to principles, responsibility and ethics.

"On this, I want to urge the people to propose the best form of monitoring and control to ensure what is written in the social media do not breach the laws.

Original post:

Practice freedom of speech within Msian norms - Najib