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Press Freedom In Malaysia, Not For The Fainthearted

Written by Jed Yoong

Wednesday, 29 October 2008

Page 2 of 2

Although government regulators ordered Malaysia Today blocked in August, Raja Petra published the blog on a mirror site and creating new Internet addresses in foreign countries. After he was jailed, his wife and some colleagues have continued to publish, although daily numbers have suffered badly.

In a separate case, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists protested the arrest of of blogger Abdul Rashid Abu Bakar, founder of the blog Penarik Beca, or Rickshaw Peddler, who was taken into custody on August 7 by police for publishing a digitally altered image of the national police insignia. In that image, the CPJ reported, the tiger in the symbol was replaced with a dog and the words “Allah” and “Mohammad” on the symbol were replaced with “C4,” the explosive that was used in Altantuya’s murder.

More recently, Cheng Lee Whee, an activist with The People's Voice of Malaysia (SUARAM), was detained under the ISA for allegedly disseminating a false report. She posted a comment on the police web portal alleging that the police had used excessive force in evicting squatters in Johor Bahru, the capital of the southern state of Johor bordering Singapore.

Even harmless antics like putting an image of the national flag upside down on your blog can land you in trouble. The prolific blogger Syed Azidi Syed Aziz of kickdefella.wordpress.com was arrested and is now out on bail awaiting a possible sedition charge. He remains defiant and argues that he meant no disrespect but the gesture to express his view that the nation is in distress.

"Today I knew they are looking for another Malaysian blogger who is still flying the flag up-side down,” he wrote. “I too knew those two persons are just victims of Prime Minister Abdullah’s (Badawi) political survivor. I pray for them to be strong. This is just the beginning for us, but rest assured that it is the end for Abdullah!"

The strained atmosphere in wake of the press crackdown showed up Tuesday when Wong Choon Mei, an editor of the online news portal Malaysiakini, resigned over an erroneous report describing a manifesto supposedly issued by Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak in his bid for the UMNO presidency. The online news portal said Wong uploaded the story before a second editor vetted it, the standard procedure. Wong, veteran journalist, told Malaysiakini, "It is my fault and I stand ready to take full responsibility and resign.”

The government and Badawi's most vitriolic critic, however, is relatively unscathed and left to lob his attacks from his blog, chedet.com. The former premier, Mahathir Mohamad, is arguably the country's most successful blogger, hitting more than a million unique viewers in just one month. But being a powerful retired warlord of the United Malays National Organisation -- the largest ethnic party, which dominates the ruling coalition, Barisan Nasional -- has it perks. He appears to be exempted from the ISA despite making serious allegations from corruption in the current run-up to party elections in March and Badawi's son's business interests.

On the other side fence, Theresa Kok, a three-term lawmaker, has sued Utusan, the leading government-controlled Malay-language daily, over an article that claims she was trying to ban the azan, the Muslim call to prayer, and the author of a short story titled “The New Politics Of The Honorable J (Politik Baru YB J in Malay)” which was also published in the paper. She alleges that the politician in the short story who was portrayed as anti-Malay and anti-Islam is a reference to her. The story ends with the character being assassinated, which Kok claims is tantamount to inciting hatred towards her. The author has denied the story is about Kok and says the characters represent "ideas,"

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21st Century Discrimination
written by Benar Tan, October 30, 2008

Why should the non-Muslim Malaysians pay their taxes to the government when they are not treated fairly & equally by the government of the day? He who pays the piper calls the tune.

How come Indian and Indonesian Muslims are classified as "bumis" (princes of the soil) and receive free handouts, special previliges and all kinds of subsidies over the last 45 years from the government and non-Muslim Malaysians are discriminated against?

Therefore, why should we be so stupid to work like dogs and continue to allow our hard-earned monies to be taken away from us to feed and subsidise ONLY the majority Muslim immigrants. In fact we don't mind our taxes being used for the needy and poor indigenous aborigines of Malaya, the Orang Asli and the Kandazans and Ibans of East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak.

Positive Mahathirism could work
written by pepi, October 31, 2008

When one looks at the complexity that come with a pluralistic society one must admit it is no easy task. Having criticised Mahathir for the current status quo in our society, we must acknowledge Tun for the positive developments he has authored. I remember when he first took office, at an interview with BBC, he was asked to comment on the high rate of emigration from the country, particularly in relation to the Chinese community. Dr. M commented somewhat as follows: ...We welcome those who are willing to share and contribute to Malaysian society, as for those who are chauvinistic, we can do without them...I agree that chauvinism amoung the main races is the underlying evil at is bound to wreak this beautiful nation. The main component parties in the BN have to-date have displayed this chauvinistic mode under which the country continues to reel and writhe for balance and harmony.

I wonder if Mukhriz could take on his dad's positive traits, minus the chauvinism, divide and rule, lack of accountability and interference with the independence of the judiciary. in addition, if Mukriz had some trait of his sister Marina, then, perhaps all Malaysians have hope.
Besides, I strongly feel that we need a Racial Discrimination Act in place, to put chauvinism in check. This Act should cover all aspects of society from simple day to day transactions, the work place, employment and other aspects of the socio-political climate of the country.
Chauvinism has become putridly blatant in our country.

Hypocrite!!!
written by wise malaysian, October 31, 2008

This Dr M is a hypocrite par excellence! He is quick to point out the racist in others but forgets that he is the one who created the "ketua melayu, ketua islam" slogan. If that is not racist, what is! If people emigrate because of this policy does it mean that they are racist? People migrate to AVOID the racist policies of the Malaysian government. Racism exist everywhere but in Malaysia, it is institutionalised. And the UMNO leadership are very proud of it. The young Malays educated in Malaysian universities, have been so brainwashed that they are unable to think; nevertheless they are granted degrees at the end of the course. What they know is immaterial. Degees are bestowed on them. The result? Malay gradustes who can't express themselves, let alone understand the very basics required of them at the workplace. These are the ones which the government has promised jobs and wealth. With the "ketuanan melayu, ketua islam" policy in place, they will simply take from the Chinese.Note that the UMNO putras send their children overseas to study, thus making themselves better, to be employable at higher ranking jobs. No week passes by without news of corruption, incompetence, laziness or even racist comments by UMNO supporters and leaders. UMNO and the bigger coalition BN has become rotten in the core. It is unsalvageable. Best to let it rot to death. The problem is that UMNO might decide to bring everything down with it. Well, who will rise from the ashes after this happens? It will be the phoenix for sure; it will definitely not be the monkey.