Deputy Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has defended the country's election record saying decades of continuous rule by the National Front coalition do not make the country undemocratic.

"Eleven victories in 11 general elections. It is not that we do not have democracy but the people vote us in at every election," state media quoted him as saying late Friday at a dinner for former National Front (Barisan Nasional) parliamentarians.

Bernama news agency quoted Najib as saying he would welcome foreign critics to see for themselves how opposition parties have been challenging the party in general and by-elections, he said in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan state.

Snap elections?

The United Malays National Organisation, of which Najib is deputy president, is the dominant group in the National Front of 14 parties.

Barisan Nasional governments have ruled Malaysia since independence in 1957 and have traditionally won elections by a large majority.

The country's election commission said recently that it would be ready for another general election by the end of September, hinting for the first time that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi may call a snap vote this year.