Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the government will make efforts for national reconciliation so that any form of extremism and racism that is unhealthy for Malaysia is tackled.

The prime minister said the government would continue to promote moderation among multiracial Malaysians.

"The Barisan government places great importance on racial harmony and national unity," he wrote on his Facebook account.

His comments came on the heels of Sunday's general election which saw Barisan Nasional (BN) being returned to power when it won 133 of the 222 parliamentary seats to form the new federal government.

Najib took the oath of office as prime minister before the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah at Istana Negara in Kuala Lumpur, Monday.

In his Twitter message shortly after taking his oath of office as prime minister, Najib said this was the responsibility of each and every Malaysian.

Najib also received a congratulatory tweet from his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong.

"Congrats Najib Razak on your GE (general election) victory! Looking forward to continuing our excellent partnership," Lee said.

A similar message was conveyed by British High Commissioner to Malaysia Simon Featherstone whose tweet read: "Congratulations to Barisan Nasional on securing a majority in parliament."

Najib's Twitter account was also awash with congratulatory messages from local celebrities such as Datuk Aznil Hj Nawawi, Thanuja Ananthan, Wardina Safiyyah and Nurul Syuhada Nurul Ain.