Ministry: A request, not directive
Source : Malaysiakini.com
Source : Malaysiakini.com
Fauwaz Abdul Aziz and Ng Ling FongMar 19, 07 3:20pm
The Internal Security Ministry today denied it had 'ordered' mainstream newspapers not to quote or publish reports found on Internet portals and blogs.
The Internal Security Ministry today denied it had 'ordered' mainstream newspapers not to quote or publish reports found on Internet portals and blogs.
Newspaper Warned Not to Quote Anti-Government Comments Posted Online
In Malaysia on March 13 the Internal Security Ministry sent a circular to top editors of local mainstream newspapers and television stations warning not to quote or reproduce anti-government comments posted online. Fittingly, the circular, issued by the ministry’s secretary-general, Zainuddin Maidin, was brought to light by the independent online magazine Malaysiakini.com. The ministry reminded newspapers that under the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984, it is the responsibility of newspaper editors to take reasonable steps to ensure the correctness and truth of news before publishing. The presses act, a holdover from British colonial days, requires publications to be licensed annually by the ministry and allows it to shut down publications at any time without recourse.
Zainuddin, the information ministry’s secretary general, has told local newspapers not to refer and quote from blogs or the online media and accused them of spreading rumors. He said that the blogs are mainly run by frustrated journalists and political pundits.
"Do not quote them because you are disgracing yourself as you are the authority. Do not give credit to such anarchist websites," Zainuddin said in a press conference. The national news agency Bernama also quoted Zainuddin as saying that "The information posted on the blog website may be something provocative, politically motivated, inaccurate and is mostly rumor floated for the interests of certain parties.”
In response to Zainuddin’s comments, Tricia Yeoh, a Senior Research Analyst attached to the Center for Public Policy Studies, Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (ASLI), a prominent Malaysian think tank, told Asia Sentinel that “Making generalized and sweeping statements is never wise. Likewise, accusing all bloggers across the board as mere troublemakers is reflective of a lack of information and understanding. Who are bloggers? Bloggers are merely citizens of a nation; do citizens have legitimate concerns and is it legitimate for them to voice these out?”
Yeoh posited that “Because of its non-censorship policy of the Internet, Malaysians are privileged to be allowed open debate online, something we may be deprived of otherwise. It is this dynamic interaction between online community members that allows for critical examination and open dialogue, a process so necessary in the maturing of society”.
The government appears to be trying a new tack against bloggers – without leaving fingerprints. The New Straits Times newspaper, generally regarded as the the mouthpiece of the United Malays National Organisation, the leading ethnic party in Malaysia’s national ruling coalition, filed libel suits against two prominent political bloggers, Jeff Ooi and Ahiruddin Atan.
To a question of whether such a suit would put the brakes on blogging, activist Marina Mahathir, the daughter of former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, told Asia Sentinel “No, not at all. In fact I think it's really led to an upsurge in blogging. More and more people have become interested in blogs, either just to read or to start their own. It's kind of an 'up yours' reaction. So I think if anything its breathed new life into blogging.
The tension between bloggers and the blogged about escalated to new levels when Malaysia’s tourism minister, Tengku Adnan Mansor sparked a controversy by reportedly describing bloggers as “liars” and “mostly jobless women.”
“'From my understanding, out of 10,000 unemployed bloggers, 8,000 are women.'” He was quoted as saying by the local Chinese-language newspaper Sin Chew Jit Poh “Bloggers like to spread rumors; they do not like national unity.”
Bloggers United, an unofficial coalition of bloggers set up in the wake of the suit against Ooi and Atan, in turn launched its own war of words against Adnan. Popular blogs such as Screenshots and Rocky’s Bru as well as bloggers and women’s rights proponents have spoken out strongly.
Marina Mahathir thinks this is only the beginning. “Unless the government aims to sue each and every blogger, I reckon the build-up to the general election (expected this year or next) will mean lots of activity in the blogosphere. And there's not a lot that the government can do about it except fight on the same ground, which of course they are welcome to do. But they must ensure their own bloggers are credible. Right now, there are some pro-government bloggers but they are so crude and clumsy that nobody bothers with them”.
Source:
Some Asian Governments Want to Control Those Pesky Bloggers
Imran Imtiaz Shah Yacob
04 April 2007 from Asia Sentinel website :
http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=443&Itemid=32
Other related links:-
http://www.infernalramblings.com/
In Malaysia on March 13 the Internal Security Ministry sent a circular to top editors of local mainstream newspapers and television stations warning not to quote or reproduce anti-government comments posted online. Fittingly, the circular, issued by the ministry’s secretary-general, Zainuddin Maidin, was brought to light by the independent online magazine Malaysiakini.com. The ministry reminded newspapers that under the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984, it is the responsibility of newspaper editors to take reasonable steps to ensure the correctness and truth of news before publishing. The presses act, a holdover from British colonial days, requires publications to be licensed annually by the ministry and allows it to shut down publications at any time without recourse.
Zainuddin, the information ministry’s secretary general, has told local newspapers not to refer and quote from blogs or the online media and accused them of spreading rumors. He said that the blogs are mainly run by frustrated journalists and political pundits.
"Do not quote them because you are disgracing yourself as you are the authority. Do not give credit to such anarchist websites," Zainuddin said in a press conference. The national news agency Bernama also quoted Zainuddin as saying that "The information posted on the blog website may be something provocative, politically motivated, inaccurate and is mostly rumor floated for the interests of certain parties.”
In response to Zainuddin’s comments, Tricia Yeoh, a Senior Research Analyst attached to the Center for Public Policy Studies, Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (ASLI), a prominent Malaysian think tank, told Asia Sentinel that “Making generalized and sweeping statements is never wise. Likewise, accusing all bloggers across the board as mere troublemakers is reflective of a lack of information and understanding. Who are bloggers? Bloggers are merely citizens of a nation; do citizens have legitimate concerns and is it legitimate for them to voice these out?”
Yeoh posited that “Because of its non-censorship policy of the Internet, Malaysians are privileged to be allowed open debate online, something we may be deprived of otherwise. It is this dynamic interaction between online community members that allows for critical examination and open dialogue, a process so necessary in the maturing of society”.
The government appears to be trying a new tack against bloggers – without leaving fingerprints. The New Straits Times newspaper, generally regarded as the the mouthpiece of the United Malays National Organisation, the leading ethnic party in Malaysia’s national ruling coalition, filed libel suits against two prominent political bloggers, Jeff Ooi and Ahiruddin Atan.
To a question of whether such a suit would put the brakes on blogging, activist Marina Mahathir, the daughter of former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, told Asia Sentinel “No, not at all. In fact I think it's really led to an upsurge in blogging. More and more people have become interested in blogs, either just to read or to start their own. It's kind of an 'up yours' reaction. So I think if anything its breathed new life into blogging.
The tension between bloggers and the blogged about escalated to new levels when Malaysia’s tourism minister, Tengku Adnan Mansor sparked a controversy by reportedly describing bloggers as “liars” and “mostly jobless women.”
“'From my understanding, out of 10,000 unemployed bloggers, 8,000 are women.'” He was quoted as saying by the local Chinese-language newspaper Sin Chew Jit Poh “Bloggers like to spread rumors; they do not like national unity.”
Bloggers United, an unofficial coalition of bloggers set up in the wake of the suit against Ooi and Atan, in turn launched its own war of words against Adnan. Popular blogs such as Screenshots and Rocky’s Bru as well as bloggers and women’s rights proponents have spoken out strongly.
Marina Mahathir thinks this is only the beginning. “Unless the government aims to sue each and every blogger, I reckon the build-up to the general election (expected this year or next) will mean lots of activity in the blogosphere. And there's not a lot that the government can do about it except fight on the same ground, which of course they are welcome to do. But they must ensure their own bloggers are credible. Right now, there are some pro-government bloggers but they are so crude and clumsy that nobody bothers with them”.
Source:
Some Asian Governments Want to Control Those Pesky Bloggers
Imran Imtiaz Shah Yacob
04 April 2007 from Asia Sentinel website :
http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=443&Itemid=32
Other related links:-
http://www.infernalramblings.com/
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