MEDIA STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO THE REMARKS
MADE BY FORMER URUGUAYAN PRESIDENT JOSE MUJICA
REGARDING MALAYSIA
The Embassy of Malaysia wishes to refer to the media interview by Mr. Jose Mujica, former President of Uruguay, on 27 July 2019 in Montevideo during which he stated that “There is a dictatorship in Malaysia, where 25 people are killed per day…”.
The statement by Mr. Mujica is unfounded and far from the truth. Anyone in Uruguay who knows Malaysia will definitely disagree with such statement and will regret that it has been mistakenly made by a former leader of this great country.
Malaysia has been a vibrant parliamentary democracy since her independence in 1957. Fourteen general elections have been held to elect representatives to the Parliament, and to elect consecutive governments. Malaysia has also been known as a progressive country in all areas, and a good model for other developing countries. The county is politically stable and economically successful where her diverse yet united multiracial, multi religious and multilingual population co-exist in harmony and with great mutual respect.
It is Malaysia’s success and progress that has enabled the country to establish a wide range of diplomatic relations and economic cooperation with other countries of the world, including Uruguay. Malaysia will continue to find ways to strengthen a mutually beneficial cooperation with Uruguay, and to ensure that Malaysia is better known by the people of Uruguay.
EMBASSY OF MALAYSIA
BUENOS AIRES
18 AUGUST 2019
