Monday, July 30, 2007

Really, I dont Understand Sir....

I have been residing in the West for these past 8 years.
The West value freedom of speech, writing and thinking.
Where speech is FREE, opinion is valued, no matter how stupid in our views.
There is FREEDOM of expression, swear words (those words that are not nice to our hearing) are part of everyday expression and communication, even on prime time TV.

If you go to some part of the city, the residents may communicate to you in language that you might not understand..
I mean not a foreign language, but EVERY four words there shall be a swear word.
Like, "Get the fuck outa here"
"She's a bitch."

6 O'clock news might air report from parliament of Opposition Leader lambasting a Govt Minister for his wrongdoing in firing a Govt Dept manager, which resulted in the Minister's resignation. Few months ago, videos of MPs sleeping on the bench and an MP showing a finger to his opposition was aired on the news.
Freedom of speech, freedom of expression. Its normal that newspapers lampooning and satirizing political leaders and Prime Minister.

So it is a shock to me that Malaysia is moving to curb bloggers, on what they write. This report in Malaysiakini says that Govt trying to muzzle bloggers. Raja Petra of Malaysia-today has been grilled at Dang Wangi police station for his writing on Malaysia's constitution.

One report even say that the unemployed son in law of Malaysia's Prime Minister is saying that "Dakwa penulis blog! Biar monyet lain takut".
Really, I dont understand, why is that an unemployed man, has become the mouth piece of the Govt?
Is that the Govt policy to communicate its policy statement through some unemployed person? So there is no need to employ Communications Manager and Head of Dept?
Really, I dont understand who is driving the Govt policy, is it the Cabinet, BN Caucus, or Khairy Jamaluddin?
Are we priming the country towards dictatorship? Like, ehem, Pakistan or previously, Iraq? Are we reducing the Parliament to be rubber stamper for the incoming dictator?
Notice that KJ made the call first, the UMNO politicians follow suit and formulate policies to be rubber stamped by the rest of BN coalition.

I dont understand HOW Govt is going to muzzle the blogs. A blog is like free speech. As long as people has mouth to speak, believe me they will. In recent history, dictators starts to move by controlling media, then free speech. We know that prime media in Malaysia are all controlled by the ruling parties, leaving the online media that is still free. Well, still relatively free.
Is this the precursor to a dictatorship?

My recent attempts to surf Raja Petra's website has been thwarted by 'site unavailable' and site too busy' lately. Proof that his website has become ever more popular as the premier source of news for Malaysia.
My congratulations to Raja Petra, his most recent writing here.
If what the Malaysian bloggers write are slander, all the Govt or the person should do is just deny it. And take the blogger involved to civil court, if you can find the identity of the person.
Rounding up the bloggers and send them to jail? Thats draconian, thats sound like what the late Saddam Husein did not that long ago.
Maybe someone learn something from him.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I totally agree with you. I'm a malaysian and hoping for a better malaysia.