She said Najib had, instead, been instigating racial and religious sentiments in Malaysia.
Nurul Izzah said the government must also understand the need to enlarge the democratic space to build credibility in the system.
She said the stakeholders in the electoral system must be convinced they could adequately represent their case without fear or favour.
“There must be certainty in terms of how the laws are being applied to everyone, regardless of their position.
“Once they feel that the democratic institutions are eroded and can be controlled by the powers that be, people will be pushed to use illegal means to get or achieve a particular objective,” she said.
In a commentary published in the Washington Post yesterday, ahead of Najib’s current visit to the United States, Nurul Izzah said Malaysian political leaders were so accustomed to power that they would do anything to keep it.
She wrote that the Barisan Nasional (BN) had not just turned a blind eye to extremism, but had actively encouraged it.
“Najib himself encouraged his own party followers to emulate ‘brave’ Islamic State fighters. If Najib’s autocracy and extremist actions are not condemned and resisted, all of us are at risk,” she said.
It was previously reported that the prime minister, at an Umno gathering, called for Umno members to emulate the bravery of the Middle Eastern militant group to ensure the party would continue to form the government.
Later today, US President Donald Trump is scheduled to host Najib at the White House where they are expected to discuss bilateral cooperation on counterterrorism and trade.