Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak is most likely to turn a deaf ear to the urging for him to show leadership in the face of intolerant voices, said Lim Kit Siang.

According to him, this is because Najib has shown that he lacks political will.

The Gelang Patah MP pointed out that is it "ironic" that the prime minister travels the world to preach moderation but "shies away from taking a stand against extremism" at home.

"Najib is allowing himself to be a prisoner of the extremist, immoderate and intolerant voices who represent a distinct though raucous minority," he said.

Lim was responding to the urging from 25 prominent Malay personalities. which included former top civil servants, judges, ambassadors and scholars.

Lim also took a jibe at Najib’s 1Malaysia policy which the premier has now ‘abandoned’ and failed to bring about moderation in the country.

“What Najib cannot do, let all moderates in Malaysia, regardless of political party, race, religion, region, age or gender, stand as one to bear the standard of moderation to save multi-racial, multi-religious, multi-lingual and multi-cultural Malaysia from the forces of extremism, intolerance and bigotry.

“In his five years and eight months as the sixth prime minister of Malaysia, Najib had proven that he is incapable of bearing the standard of moderation in the country.”

Yesterday, the group of 25 prominent Malays, said in a joint statement that it was time for moderate Malays to speak up, for extremist and immoderate voices do not speak for Malays.

They also called on like-minded moderate Malays and Muslims to speak up for a rational and informed discussion on Islam in the country.