Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has urged Malaysians living abroad to play their role in maintaining a good image of the country in the eyes of the world.

“You are representatives of Malaysia in your own respective roles. You should share your knowledge about Malaysia and help counter misperceptions about our country,” he said.

Najib addressed a gathering of Malaysian professionals and students in Riyadh last night in conjunction with his working visit to Saudi Arabia.

The prime minister said Malaysians who joined the IS militant group, albeit small in numbers, were doing the country no favour and their actions tarnished the image of Islam as well.

In this regard, he said, “There’s a need to show that Islam is a religion that values peace and teaches its followers to be moderate and balanced in all aspects of life.”

Najib shared with his audience the challenges faced by Malaysia as a result of slumping oil prices and China’s economic slowdown.

“That’s why we need to seek new or additional opportunities and, to this end, it’s necessary for us to develop strong relations with other countries including Saudi Arabia,” Najib explained.

“It’s the main reason why I've undertaken this working visit to the kingdom which has continued to grow in terms of its importance in various aspects,” he said.

On the presence of many Malaysian professionals in the kingdom, Najib said it was a testimony of Malaysia’s success in developing human capital.

“And our professionals are well regarded internationally,” he said.

- Bernama