KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 23 ― Voters will be the ones to decide whether Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his new party were genuinely interested in representing the public's interest, Umno minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman said today.

The de facto law minister said Dr Mahathir was entitled to use Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia to challenge his former party, but added that voters will only back those who serve them, before pointing out that Umno and Barisan Nasional had proven track records in doing so.

"He is free to do what he likes this is politics and he can do it… but at the end of the day its not about the leadership, but about the people,” Azalina told reporters after visiting the Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration complex here.

Azalina said the Barisan Nasional government has consistently put voters first through its "people-centric” policies, especially under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

She also claimed there are greater civil liberties today than under Dr Mahathir’s administration, pointing to the abolition of the Internal Security Act, a law critics said was regularly used by the former prime minister to silence his political enemies.

"He (Najib) abolished the ISA. This was a law that allowed for arbitrary detention.

"Now we have Sosma, POTA and all but these laws allow for hearings,” she said, referring to the Special Offences (Security Measures) Act and the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

The two laws, created to deal with terrorism, also allow for preventive arrests, though the detentions-without-trial can be challenged in court.