As most of my readers know, I don’t usually post twice a day. The last time I did was when I posted an article called “Are We Losing Our Freedom of Speech?“, and that was so many moons ago.
In continuing with the newspaper theme today, I was downstairs reading the newspaper while breakfasting with my mother. I had a gulp of coffee in my mouth when I caught the headline in the Star, Bloggers May Have to Register. I gave a yelp and shouted “What the hell!” And thanks to that, I have now a coffee stained T-shirt.
Okay, I had such a knee-jerk reaction because in my previous Political Nonsense article (Are We Losing Our Freedom of Speech?), I wrote this:
It’s rather tempting. The Government has been getting plenty of negative feedback nowadays, mainly on blogs. Blogs that prints out what the citizens are feeling. So what next? Registration of all bloggers and possible “dissidents”?
If that ever was a silent prayer, it did come through. Or of course, some idiot could have read this blog and picked my brains.
I strongly oppose whatever-his-name-is, Deputy Minister of Energy, Water and Communication said. According to him,
…registration was one of the measures the Government was considering to prevent the spread of negative or malicious content on the Internet. (Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor)
Now, Datuk Shaziman, what exactly is “negative or malicious content”? Or, as Lucia’s good question asked: “…negative or malicious content as perceived by whom?”
If you do mean defamation and libel, then make a case. Prove it to be a case of defamation and libel. Then take actions individually. A blanket policy like this only does more harm than good.
What more, who decides what content is “negative” or “malicious”? I suppose the good minister never heard of the phrase “one man’s meat is another man’s poison”.
The fact is, bloggers have been denting the reputation and credibilities of local politicians, puncturing the hot air balloons that they are. So could they be “malicious” if they are merely reporting the truth, or exposing a corrupt politician?
Datuk Shaziman continues to add, (emphases added by me)
…[there are] about 50,000 websites registered under the .my suffix and there were a lot of avenues for anyone to host websites with malicious content which could harm the country’s security.
Harm the country’s security? I’m sorry, Datuk Shaziman, the only way I see that a blogger could harm the country’s security is that if the blogger is someone in the government/military, and blogging every damn secret. If that is so, it wouldn’t be too hard to find the person. Call me naive, call me ignorant, but I don’t see how regular bloggers like you and I, who have no access to any national secrets (save that everyone in Malaysia is a racist - don’t contend that, I can prove you wrong).
Perhaps the minister thinks that by posting information that reflect on the current situation (though it may be a narrow view) will perhaps affect the trade in the country, affecting its economy and finally affecting its security. Far out situation, if you ask me.
Or perhaps he was referring to the fact that there may be some insiders providing information to blogs. Nothing wrong with that - In fact, I think exposing corrupt politicians is a rather good thing. If Datuk Shaziman were afraid that an insider may provide information on some Official Secrets to certain bloggers, what makes him think that the insider hasn’t already told the rest of the world the same information? The insider’s wives, and kids, for instance, would be the first few to know. And information propagates very quickly through word-of-mouth, and soon everyone knows it. So, it doesn’t really matter if an insider provides critical information, because by that time, it would probably by at the corner of every Malaysian’s mouths, hovering there as a rumor. The blog would just confirm the rumor.
By the way, anyone notice that everytime a Minister wants to make a point, he/she’d use “National Security” as one of the points in his/her speech. I really detest this sort of leverage. I know you know tons about National Security, and we normal citizens no nothing about it, but there is really no grounds to use this as a threat. “National Security” and “May 13″ are bloody common threats used, and I’m really sick of it.
Back to the point - registration of bloggers. Surely it would not be cheap to pass such a law. And it will not have much effect, because as Rocky put it,
…the move would just create fear among the bloggers and would encourage them to host their blogs overseas. (Ahirudin Attan)
Sounds familiar? Basic Economics - people are driven to black markets. In this case, black markets for information. What will the government do next then? Blanket out the internet? Block every blog on the internet?
Should the time come that bloggers need to register, I WILL NOT register myself. I like my privacy. It takes quite a bit of effort to pry information from my website, my IP and whatnots. I want you to do a little extra work before you get to me. Simple. I value my privacy. Don’t you dare take it away from me. Sharon Bakar echoes my thoughts precisely - I’m apolitical, but I value my freedom of speech.
Now… anyone wants my coffee stained T-shirt?
Cool?
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It’s call control by mass paranoia, or control by fear. The people obeys because they fear that particular disaster that politicians keep hanging around their mouths. The usual culprits? Communists and May 13. Which is so outdated, in the face of rising corruption, weakening police force, drug trades, and new waves of racism and oppression.
So when blogs come out, they defeat that control by disrupting the information connection between politicians to the masses. By wrestling information control away from the government, and providing a new front in communications, they pose a serious threat to the government’s ability to control by misinformation and paranoia.
Good luck bloggers. I’m rooting for u guys.
the part about harming the country’s security made me ROTFL! you are right… how could us harmless regulars bloggers tip tapping on our keyboard in the comfort of our home, harm the country? actually, come to think of it, it is because we bloggers love our country that we blog on our couutry’s affairs and we offer CONSTRUCTIVE criticisms.
i’m with you, chewxy. i will NOT register too. to hell with the gomen! what i do in front of my computer is my own business!
[…] Now that this is off his chest, Serge got the news from 4896 and ChewXY. Many thanks for pinging Petaling Street for this, entertaining news. […]
My blog launches a nuclear strike on Malaysia every 6mins. Yeah right.
I tried replying by SMS to send in my views to the Star newspaper at 39222 but somehow it doesn’t work.
So i do blog about stuff i read in the newspapers from time to time and i stick my own views in it but to call it malicious and that i would harm national security?
I should start blowing up every server i see then.
lol @ the government’s paranoia.
It’s not enough that they control the mass media, now they also want to control the opinions and thoughts of Malaysians? Excellent.
How long til we turn into a communist country?
War.
Some politicians just need their 15 minutes of fame (or in this case a few inches of newsprint) from the Dewan Rakyat. I’d suggest you monitor this discussion in Utusan Malaysia. Read what the columnists say and which letters to the editor they decide to publish - I find that a very reliable indicator of the establishment’s view on any issue.
Well…. if PM’s 4th floor boys are the as smart as they think, I doubt this dumbass idea will go through.. Most likely our mr Lah man intervened at the end, “act” in good faith… what a lousy script
Wow… guys.. this is the first time I get substantial comments!
Ruben: What you’ve describe is the role of the internet ironing out information asymmetry. There has always been one side that knows more than the other side, and the Internet attempts to level that out.
Lucia: Yes, what we do in front of our computers is our business. Even if it means typing with one hand.
Aoshi: having known you, I think you ARE a threat to the national security. Too much ecchi causes unproductivity you know XD.
Sharina: Not so much on communism. I think what you mean is a fascist state - i.e like Hitler’s Germany.
Typistonline2000: er?
Ayjk: I’d rather not taint my house with Utusan. Nonsensical gossip nonsense.
Freethinker: Yes, I think it might be that way too, but you never know. If you’ve got a PM supporting the mat rempits…
It is claimed that:
1) A common stereotype among Indians is that they are all a gang mob..so MIC are all gangsters..
2) And recently, the United Mat-rempit’s National Organisation was formed and combined with UMNO.
I wonder what next….MCA for bloggers? Come to think of it, i think DAP would rather take a stand for that…
Gossip? Haha…if there’s any paper with a good finger feeling the pulse on what’s going on in the heads of the head honchos, it’s Utusan.
I really have no idea what is the level of intelligence a typical Malaysians possessed nowadays.
If Mob mentality rules among the less intelligent community, he could be right. It would be a threat, on the otherhand, anyone who could argue and expose local politicians, it would be a threat too.
They’re just protecting their community, chewxy. It’s their long term tactic of self preservation.
Malaysia is not ready to handle for the raw and brutal truth in a calmly manner. Heck! come to think of it, nobody does.
Sigh, There’s always bloggers unite to fight this. All Bloggers should unite and refuse to register. LoL!
argh! the tangential verbosity…
tis simple. It is either that the malaysian govt thinks its citizens to stupid to decide the truth for themselves (paternalism). Or the government actually has something to hide.
the more you say (or nitpick), the more you give the govt chance to themselves nitpick, and totally obscure the point of the issue.
Hehe.
I have discovered secret ties between the Malaysian Government and the Illuminati. Quickly, I must tell you this before candlejack kidna