MALAYSIA is bouncing back better than ever, as the May 9 general election showed signs of a vibrant Muslim civil society emerging to speak up on the rule of law and social justice, a university forum in Melbourne heard.

The forum also heard that Malaysians needed to continue to stay vigilant to keep the government, a new one for the first time in 60 years, in check, and that the election held regional and global implications on security, as well as on Australia-Malaysia relations.