Careful With Information Sourced From Blogs, Says Ahmad Zahid

Malaysians abroad, including students, have been advised to be careful and not to be easily influenced by what is being written in blogs about the political development back home.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said many of the blog contents were mere allegations.

He said reading blogs just for the sake of obtaining information not reported by the mainstream media, could poison the mind as the many of the contents were not based on facts.

"They should also balance things out by reading websites of the mainstream media like Bernama and Utusan Malaysia which are reporting issues based on ethical writing," he said at a meeting with staff of the Malaysian embassy here on Friday.

Zahid said the Barisan Nasional (BN) government had accepted the fact that it only managed to secure 140 seats in parliament in the 12th general election and acknowledged the achievement by opposition parties in controlling the other 82 seats.

On the same note, he said, the opposition should also recognise the BN government and acknowledge that even though the coalition only manage a simple majority, it was still a government elected by the people.

"But the opposition has been playing with politics since day one after the election. They want Malaysia to become a country with daily politicking so much so that the government's efforts to develop the country and to care for the people's well-being appear to have been affected," he said.

He also said the opposition was only interested in finding faults with the government.

A certain individual, whose ambition was to become the prime minister at all costs, including seeking support from United States, had been masterminding the attempts to run down the government, he said. (Bernama)

***** Does Zahid truly believe that such a simplistic appeal to the students along with his dismissal of blog posts as 'mere allegations' will do the trick? So the audience out of politeness might have nodded their head and applauded. But after the minister leaves do you really think that they'd go to Bernama for really up-to-date and accurate information?

Blogs for quite some time now have achieved credibility and started to fill the space which government inspired fiction and half-lies have long ignored; the harsh truth. Now good old Zahid comes along and says careful brudder these fellows will poison your mind! The litmus test is how much that gets published in the blogs is finally proven true and in the same vein how much the mainstream media is forced to omit or prefers to leave out in the name of self-censorship. Ultimately it is you who decides, not Zahid.

UiTM Willing To Offer Course On Blog Writing, Says VC

Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) is willing to offer a course in blog writing in an effort to produce more professional and ethical blog writers, its Vice Chancellor Datuk Seri Profesor Ibrahim Abu Shah said.

He said the move would also be in keeping with current developments, where a majority of the society were being drawn to the alternative media.

"Currently, we do have blogging studies in our curriculum and this will be enhanced further by introducing a course on blog writing.

"I feel that the Communication and Media Studies Faculty is ready to conduct the course and I fully support this move (to introduce blog writing course) as it is time for us to help produce bloggers who are not only professionals, but with ethics," he told a media conference after opening a seminar on Media and the 2008 General Election, here Monday.

Ibrahim said although academic qualifications were not an asset for those wanting to become blog writers, there were certain ethics which they should adhere to in expressing their views to avoid them from writing on matters which were negative and seditious.

"Everybody can be a blogger but we cannot simply write as we like because there are certain rules to be observed, like whether the words used are ethical and the subject matter is true or otherwise" he added.

Earlier in his speech, Ibrahim said the new media had become the focus for the young generation due to its anti-establishment tendency.

He said the society looked upon the new media as a space for them to express their thoughts and whose development could also be seen as a process to enhance the government's accountability as well as a "watchdog" for the people.

Referring to the result of the recent general election, Ibrahim said the people had activated the cyber revolution by displaying information that had caused the fall of several states to the opposition.

"Isn't there any other media which can provide a balance to the situation. Do we have to be trapped and allow ourselves to become victims of the cyber media without any check and balance on ourselves, family and the society.

"It's here that I think the cyber colony can be regulated. If the blog is used, then it is also through the blog that we can merge the traditional and new media," he added.

The one-day seminar is attended by more than 200 participants, comprising academicians, media practitioners, politicians, representatives from government and non-governmental organisations as well as bloggers where they discussed the role of the media during elections. (Bernama)

***** Guys like Toyol and Malacca's Ali Rustam should be in the first batch so that they can at least publish a couple of quality posts unlike the rubbish they are posting now.

As for the question of ethics, will the varsity course preach that anything which is remotely critical of the government is considered unethical?

Bloggers Test Their Popularity In Malaysia Election

The Internet is changing the face of Malaysian politics, becoming a virtual political party of its own as the country gears up for elections next month.

Three high-profile bloggers, all opponents of the ruling coalition which has effectively governed for five decades, are standing for the first time as candidates on March 8, hoping that their popularity on the Net will translate into votes.

"Everyone of us has a stake in the country's future, but talk is cheap. We now need to walk the walk," says Jeff Ooi, a well-known blogger contesting a seat in northern Penang state for the opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP).

A 52-year-old former advertising copywriter, he has made his name writing a political blog, "Screenshots", one of dozens that have found an active readership outside the pro-government mainstream press.

Another popular blogger, also running on a DAP ticket, is 34-year-old Tony Pua, a fresh-faced Oxford graduate who started blogging three years ago after setting up a high-tech firm.

"I've had opportunities to migrate but I decided that Malaysia is my home," Pua said as he dreamt up campaign slogans at a cramped DAP office on the second floor of a shophouse, above a Chinese restaurant, on the outskirts of the capital.

"So the next question is what should I do to make it better?"

ALTERNATIVE VIEWS

Pua, like Ooi, is running from an urban constituency where Internet penetration is highest and opposition sentiment runs stronger than in the countryside.

A third blogger, Badrul Hisham Shaharin, said he is struggling to spread his message because of the limited Internet access in the rural Malay majority seat where he is standing.

"I admit that it is difficult because my blog is not accessible here, but I am getting a lot of help from fellow bloggers," he said by phone from his electorate of Rembau, a sleepy farming district south of Kuala Lumpur.

Badrul, who is running on opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's party ticket, will take on Khairy Jamaluddin, the prime minister's son-in-law and an ambitious politician. Badrul's blog.

Considered a thorn in the government's side due to their often critical political and social commentaries, Malaysia's blogging community offer alternative views in a country where the government keeps a tight control on mainstream media.

The government said last year it might compel bloggers to register with the authorities to curb the spread of malicious content on the Internet.

Government backers doubt whether bloggers turned opposition politicians could make their presence felt.

"Beyond the major cities like Kuala Lumpur and Penang, there's not much the bloggers can really hope to accomplish," says Mohamad Norza Zakaria, a leader in Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's UMNO party.

Only a fifth of Malaysians have access to the Internet, official data show. There are 10.9 million voters in a nation of 26 million people.

Blogger Ooi spoke of the difficult challenge ahead. "Compared to the BN, we are behind on the three M's - money, machinery and media access." (Reuters)

***** It was a matter of time before our bloggers joined in the fray and this is as good a time as any for a modest start. While we cannot expect miracles overnight, slowly and surely the average Joe will get used to the idea of bloggers taking on an important role in politics.

The three bloggers mentioned above are trailblazers in this respect and they should be praised for testing the waters. All the best to them.
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Malaysian Bloggers Warned They Are Being Monitored

A Malaysian government minister has accused bloggers, who have been writing avidly on upcoming elections, of being cowards and warned they are being monitored, a report said Friday.

Youth and Sports Minister Azalina Othman said opposition parties were using blogs to get their message out because they believed the Home Affairs Ministry was busy monitoring reports in the mainstream media, the Star daily said.

"They think they can get away with it but it is not the case as they too are being monitored," she reportedly said, adding that bloggers were cowards and a nuisance to the ruling party.

Opposition parties have resorted to blogs, SMS messaging and YouTube in their campaign for the March 8 polls, to dodge a virtual blackout on mainstream media.

Major newspapers and television stations -- many partly owned by parties in the ruling coalition -- have given blanket coverage to the government and its achievements since the election was called.

The opposition parties rate barely a mention, but thanks to the Internet they have begun campaigning feverishly in cyberspace with the aim of reaching young, urban, educated voters.

Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders ranks Malaysia 124 out of 169 on its worldwide press freedom index, and says the main media are "often compelled to ignore or to play down the many events organised by the opposition".

The government has previously threatened that bloggers could be punished under draconian internal security laws which provide for detention without trial.

***** She's pissed off probably because of insinuations about her sexual 'leanings' highlighted in several blogs. The considerable political coverage given to the opposition by blogs doesn't really affect or bother her.

Loony Zainuddin Maidin Sinks To The Depths Of Frivolousness

The Information Ministry will publish sensational comments posted on Lim Kit Siang's blog through the website of the ministry and its agencies for the people to evaluate them.

Information Minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin wants the people to assess whether the parliamentary opposition leader's blog adhered to genuine journalism ethics.

The ministry's official website www.kempen.gov.my can be surfed through www.rtm.net.my.

"This will enable the people to evaluate Kit Siang's comments whether they are suitable for publication by any media in line with the free, transparent and liberal press as announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

"Having access to the comments, the people can conclude whether is this the kind of freedom they wanted, especially in a plural society like in Malaysia," he told reporters on the sidelines of the Umno General Assembly at the Putra World Trade Centre.

Zainuddin said the people's evaluation would determine whether Kit Siang, who is also Member of Parliament for Ipoh Timur, was part of the group whom the minister called "goblok" blog writers.

"Goblok" means stupid in Indonesian language.

He said the DAP adviser, a former journalist, had brought down the level of press freedom in the country.

The minister said recently Kit Siang's blog carried a reader's comment that he (Zainuddin) and Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin should be killed by Mat Rempit (illegal road racers).

Zainuddin said such comments can be forgiven if the blog was operated by ordinary individuals as they are not professionals and did not have journalism ethics. "But what was posted on the opposition leader's blog was the voice and policy of a political party.

"Kit Siang's blog must be more responsible on the prevailing social harmony among the people and political stability in the country," he added. (Bernama)

***** Lord Zam has taken stupidity and ignorance to a new level. Either he is pretending to be that dumb as to be unable to distinguish between blog posts and readers' comments or dotage must be rapidly setting in. Or perhaps he's just trying to get his silly thoughts and rants published in the media, portray himself as a die-hard supporter of Umno and Pak Lah and fervently hope that it is enough to get him a cabinet post after the next G.E. if BN wins.

Any political blog will have angry comments and harshly worded rebukes by readers. That is part and parcel of a blog. In Malaysia where free speech has been considered a bad word by the government for decades, blogs are one of the precious few outlets for the ordinary citizen to reveal his thoughts and feelings. If the commenter decides to use strongly-worded language, that too is his right, which this info-dictator-turned-imbecile is attempting to smother.

Lim Kit Siang should tell Lord Zam to shove off and bark elsewhere.
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Blogger Rocky Fails To Strike Out Defamation Suit

The High Court here today dismissed with costs an application from blogger Ahirudin Attan to strike out an amended defamation suit filed against him by The New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd (NSTP) and a few senior executives of the company over articles on his webblog.

Senior Assistant Registrar Siti Aishah Abdul Rashid made the decision in her chambers after scrutinising Ahirudin's application and submissions from both parties.

On May 4, Ahirudin who is also known as Rocky, sought a court order for the suspension of all proceedings relating to the case until the disposal of his application to strike out the suit.

In his application, he cited several grounds among them that the amended suit filed by the NSTP failed to clearly state the defamation arising from the articles that appeared on his Rocky's Bru weblog.

In his supporting affidavit, Ahirudin said that he filed a new application to strike out the suit as the plaintiffs had amended their statement of claim, which resulted in him withdrawing a similar application he had filed on Jan 24.

He also said that the plaintiffs' amended statement of claim was contemptuous because of its ambiguity, hence he was unable to answer or defend the action in full.

On Jan 4, the NSTP, its deputy chairman Datuk Kalimullah Hassan, chief executive officer Datuk Syed Faisal Albar, group editor-in-chief Datuk Hishamuddin Aun, and former group editor Brendan Pereira filed the suit against Ahirudin over his blog postings for defamation and spreading malicious falsehood.

They later amended their statement of claim after Ahirudin moved to have it struck out.

Justice Datuk Mohd Hishamudin Mohd Yunus has fixed Nov 28 to hear the application by the plaintiffs for an inter-parte injunction to require Ahirudin to remove certain articles from his weblog and restrain him from further publishing articles defamatory to them. (Bernama)

Lord Zam Says That "Bloggers Are Like Karaoke Singers!"

Information Minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin today likened bloggers to karaoke singers who take pleasure in their own singing but have no influence although they claimed to have received millions of hits. He said some people might enjoy their "singing", especially those who shared their views, but many rejected them because they sang "out of tune" and their views were unacceptable to the majority of the people.

He said some of the bloggers were those who had once received the attention of the mainstream media, but were now rejected, and so had to find a new avenue to vent their frustration. However, not many people read their pieces.

"Anyway, I see this development as something positive because with the opportunity to "sing in the karaoke", they can relieve their tension and 'addiction'. "It also provides alternative reading to the public besides making the country more politically matured," he told reporters.

Zainuddin said mercenary and frustrated bloggers who used the blog for their own interest as well as that of certain groups only served to worsen the situation. "The unwise actions of some bloggers tarnish the name of professional bloggers who use technology to spread knowledge, academic discussion, interest in specific fields and other matters of interest to the society," he said.

Zainuddin, who is also the member of Parliament for Merbok, said that although there were numerous bloggers, the mainstream newspapers would ultimately hold sway over the majority of the people. "In fact most of the bloggers hope to be quoted by the mainstream media because they believe that the media can attract readers," he said. (Bernama)

***** Yes, yes Zam. You're absolutely right as usual - bloggers are unemployed ladies or faggots, useless gobloks and uninfluential karaoke singers. But then why the f*** are you so concerned about what they blog? Why do you and your ilk act as if you get the shivers when bloggers expose all the terrible misdeeds which take place in the name of bangsa, agama dan negara? And why is it that only you umnoputeras are so bugged about what is being blogged? I don't see the MCA, MIC, Gerakan and other minor parties worrying about blogs. Something that you don't want revealed perhaps?

If bloggers are that discredited, why do you and the other like-minded halfwits in government spend so much of your time trying to convince the public not to believe them? If truth be told, the average Tom Dick and Khairy have more faith in the internet media and blogs than your government propaganda.
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Pak Lah Warns People Against Abusing Freedom Of Expression

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today issued a stern warning against those who exploit the freedom of expression and abuse it to cause unrest.

He said if the freedom was abused, it could lead to undesired developments by inviting extremists who could jeopardize national security and the government would not tolerate any form of violence.

"I have given much freedom and everyone can express their opinion, they can talk about many things but they should be wise in handling the freedom... if this is not appreciated, everything (freedom) will be lost," he said. If this freedom was lost, it would take a very long time to repair the damage done, he added.

The Prime Minister said many quarters, especially the mass media, frequently pointed out that he had given much freedom to the people to express their opinion. He said, however, the government was always careful and governed the country with wisdom to avoid any undesired developments.

He said the government had never marginalised any minority group or religion whether in the peninsula or in Sabah and Sarawak. Abdullah said the Malaysian government was unique as it had representatives from the various races and religions.

He said that the government's success in giving priority to solidarity had resulted in Malaysians sometimes forgetting their racial and religious differences and sat on a common platform feeling very safe and confident.

"We give attention to every group and implement what is best... (we) don't marginalize any group and this is our practice... our country is multi-ethnic and there is religious diversity... this is a unique practice and an ideal government," he said.

Citing an example, he said if the government did not give priority to the views of all the groups, then (MIC president) Datuk Seri S.Samy Vellu would always lose (in expressing his opinion) but the government always considered the views of all races. (Bernama)

***** I'm sure that many would agree with most of the points made by the PM. At the same time it cannot be denied that the present situation is far from ideal and the government should actively look into the grouses of those who feel that they have been marginalized. A good and caring government must not only keep saying that it is so, but must show that it really cares for all its citizens. To assure the people that no one will be marginalized is a good thing but to ensure that not a single group is left far behind is the tricky part. This is where in reality the government's rhetoric and actions part ways.

More importantly when such instances of perceived discrimination are brought to the attention of the authorities they should welcome the feedback, no matter how unpleasant, instead of clobbering the messengers and attempting to muzzle them permanently.
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Pak Lah takes middle path on Islamic state issue: Malaysia Not A Secular Or Theocratic State, Says Abdullah.

Law Needed To End 'Anarchy' Of Hostile Websites, Says Belarus Leader. Some In Malaysia Share Your Views Mr President

President Alexander Lukashenko said the Internet was full of sites hostile to Belarus and a law was needed to end such anarchy, local news agency BelTA reported on Thursday.

"It is time to stop the anarchy on the Internet. We cannot allow this great technological achievement of man to be turned into an information garbage heap," Lukashenko told reporters at a press event to which foreign media were not admitted.

Lukashenko, criticized by the West for his iron grip over the former Soviet republic, said: "It is a massive loudspeaker, not even of the opposition, but a loudspeaker of voices hostile towards us, hostile states." He did not name the states.

He said such sites should be ruled by laws similar to those governing pornography or defamation.

Later on Thursday a communist opposition party said it was banned for six months for paperwork irregularities.

The United States has dubbed Belarus "Europe’s last dictatorship" and the European Union has funded the creation of independent radio stations such as Poland-based Radio Racja, aimed at Belarusians, which can be listened to on the Internet.

Belarusian opposition Web sites have also become more popular since the president clamped down on the traditional independent press.

"There is more than enough freedom in Belarus today and no less than in other countries," Lukashenko said. "If there are limits on freedoms somewhere, they come not from the authorities but from the people."

The opposition Belarusian Communist Party, which counts 4,000 members, said its activities were suspended for six months because it had not filled in Ministry of Justice forms.

***** It looks like info-dictators all over the world are the same -- justifying censorship on tenuous grounds and demanding that laws be enacted or used to crush alternative views. At least he didn't call the webmasters monkeys! These intolerant 'leaders' are also experts at clamping down on the mainstream media, while claiming that enough 'freedom' exists already. When it comes to muzzling the press and eagerly searching for avenues to suppress other sources of information, especially the gobloksphere, we have so much in common with this dying breed of communist dictators.
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Nutty Norza's Wacky Plan To Cyber Patrol Gobloksphere

The government was today urged to form a cyber police unit to maintain surveillance over the activities of bloggers.

The loony bin who came out with this daft idea is the Federal Territory Umno youth head, Datuk Paduka Norza Zakaria. This nutcase wants a multi-ministry battalion of askar siber comprising the Internal Security; Energy, Water and Communications; Science, Technology and Innovation as well as the Information Ministries.

"The government should take firm action against the 'irresponsible bloggers' according to existing law," bellowed this Umno warlord wannabe.

Referring to the Malaysia Today website, Norza said according to section 121 (B) and Section 123 of the Penal Code, Section 4 of the Sedition Act 1948, Section 263 and 266 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, being a publisher, Raja Petra Kamarudin was responsible for providing clear warning to every person who gives comments that they were responsible for their comments.

He said Umno Youth wanted stern action to be taken against Raja Petra including under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for failing to carry out his responsibilities.
Norza also asked the mainstream media not to publish unconfirmed information from websites.

***** The trouble with inept, so-called 'youth leaders' like Norza is that if someone disagrees with them or if they are unhappy with that someone, at the drop of a songkok they want the ISA to be brought out! Bloody lazy and immature bunch of cowards all of them. Trying to take the easy way out.

If you truly are upset about what the gobloks write, then counter their attacks on an equal platform. Don't go running like crybabies to the government every time your 'feelings' are hurt. Unfortunately there are lot of these intolerant whining wimps in the ruling party and God bless our country if some of them should actually make it to Cabinet. There are already enough specimens there right now causing damage that should last for the next hundred years. Say 'No' to Norza.
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Lies Will Not Affect Umno's Chances In General Election, Says Home Minister Radzi. But The Truth Will

Lies and distorted facts levelled by certain bloggers in their blog sites will not in any way affect Umno's chances of winning seats in the next general election, party secretary-general Datuk Seri Radzi Sheikh Ahmad said Friday.

"No, I don't think so. Umno is strong and getting stronger," Radzi said when asked if these allegations would hurt the chances of the party, which is the largest political party in the country and the backbone of the ruling Barisan Nasional, in the general election.

Radzi, who is Home Minister, said bloggers had been given "a lot of freedom" under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi but this did not give them the right to abuse the freedom granted.

"They should not ridicule religion, or the King...their allegations have no basis at all. It would be good if they could come up with ideas and suggestions for the betterment of the government," he said.

***** Firstly Umno is a political party and not synonymous with Islam (although they very much act the role) and they definitely are not representative of the monarchy. What Radzi and the other whingers are doing is to manipulate the issue at hand by pulling out one stray comment on His Majesty the King and magnifying it to a ridiculously unbelievable level. For safe measure they've thrown in the 'insulting Islam' accusation as well, hoping that it would galvanize a large section of the Malay-Muslim electorate to rally behind these 'warriors' who have been 'struggling' for bangsa, agama dan negara; a tempatan version of the classic 'divide and rule' policy of yore.

The so-called 'lies' they are referring to are the numerous revelations by the internet media and blogs on the abuse, corruption and financial wheeling-dealing by some of those in authority. This is what these buggers can't stand; that the normally docile Malaysian after decades of being muzzled by the government, now dares to criticize and condemn. They cannot tolerate the idea of being held accountable or have their misdeeds publicized, openly discussed and commented on by the average Joe on the street. They would love to remain above the law if they could.

Gagging the citizens and using out-of-date draconian legislation to somehow totally hush the 'adventurers' among the bloggers reflects not only their truculent mentality, it also clearly shows how desperate they are. With elections not too far off there is an added urgency to severely restrain the internet media and curb any 'inconvenient' news or discussion.

Admittedly not everything that is posted on the internet is true but that doesn't mean that they are outright lies either. Instead of sweeping things under the carpet as our authorities have been used to doing for so long and completely smothering allegations, especially on official corruption and other wrongdoings, the government should thank bloggers for raising these issues. In fact the authorities should go one step further and investigate the claims rather than reflexly go into denial mode and lash out at the messenger. But that could be asking for the sky.
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Latest Semuanya OK News:
1) Former ACA Chief Free Of Criminal Misconduct, Abuse Of Power, Says AG.
2) AG Orders Corruption Investigation Against IGP Closed.

Umno's Police Report Against Malaysia Today. The Start Of Blogger Crackdown?

Umno has lodged a police report against Malaysia Today for carrying a series of comments and remarks that it deemed as insulting the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, degrading Islam and as inciting hatred and violence in Malaysia's multi-racial society.

Party information chief Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib lodged the report at 12.57pm at Tun H.S. Lee police station here Monday.

He said the comments and remarks, consisting of criminal elements and inciting religious and racial sentiments which could affect the country’s security, were carried by the blog on July 11.

The report was lodged under Section 121 (B) and Section 123 of the Penal Code, Section 4 of the Sedition Act 1948 and Section 263 and Section 266 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

"I think they are very irresponsible," he told reporters at the police station. (TheStar)

***** First Nat Tan, now Raja Petra? We'll just have to wait and see. But you can be sure that the cops would drop everything, give this police report top priority and 'investigate'. Arrest won't be too far away. A shame really.
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Classify Bloggers Says Malaysia's Gestapo Wannabe Zainuddin Maidin!

True to form this imperious proponent of press censorship (and if possible, the fast track and painful execution of those contravening his ideas of 'free speech') has once again bared his razor sharp fangs at bloggers as a whole.

According to Bernama, Information Minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin said today Malaysia has to 'classify' web bloggers as professionals and non-professionals as a mechanism to prevent 'misuse' of blog sites. (Misuse in 'Zamspeak' means any adverse comment against or criticism of the government.) Glaringly exposing his ignorance as well as underlining the fact that he still lives in a make believe mid-20th century dictatorship, he emphasized that "this classification will also facilitate the action to be taken against those found to have violated the country's laws."

Zainuddin Maidin was once a respected journalist who began his metamorphosis into an intolerant tyrant around the same time he made the transition from scribe to bribe (i.e. politics). Although personally he is known to be an honest man who eschews corrupt practices, his harsh, unbending views on alternative sources of news especially via the Internet has done grievous harm to his reputation and many now consider him as a person who is not only out of sync with the times but has stayed beyond the expiry date for politicians.

Those like intolerant Zam have no place in the politics of a true democracy. But our government, privately not professing to be 'fully' democratic have entrusted him with of all cabinet positions, the information portfolio! Let him challenge the bloggers. It would be an interesting duel; our version of the archaic immovable object versus the modern irresistible force.

Read more of Zam's outrageous opinions on blogs and bloggers HERE.
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Now Zam Wants 'Politically-motivated' Blogs To Be Monitored And Registered!

One can't help but admire Lord Zam, Darth Vader of the Information Darkside, a diehard fan of suppression and misinformation. At least he is consistent and transparent in his desire and ambition to keep under his thumb everything that is published by Malaysians. He has succeeded admirably in doing just that with the mainstream media and now this hard-core dictator is day-dreaming of repeating this feat with the blogs. That it is an idiotic and supremely foolish idea has escaped the warped brain of this aging, out-of-date despot. The following report from Bernama details Zam's schizophrenic delusions.

Information Minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin Friday lent his weight to a proposal to register blog sites, especially those which are politically-motivated.

He said the mainstream media were subjected to registration, monitoring and specific laws, and as such, there was no reason why the same should not apply to blog operators. "We must know who they are. So there must be laws that will facilitate their identification," he told reporters here.

However, he said, the need to register blogs with entertainment and social commentary contents might not be as great as politically-motivated ones. "When people involved in politics want to use blogs for their political interest or when blog operators are politically-motivated, we have to know who they are.

"Politics is meant to gain influence among the people, politics is meant to obtain power. When it comes to power, it's the people who are in control. When the people use the power, they'll have to identify themselves. They are dishonest if they hide themselves when talking about politics," he said.

Zainuddin said in the quest for political power, people were willing to resort to slander, disseminate lies, use unauthorized sources or choose not to verify the source of the information. "This is very dangerous as they are writing and taking steps to gain power. Their objective is to topple the government, widen the reach of their political doctrine and assist any parties for political purposes," he said.

Zainuddin said he concurred with the monitoring and registration proposal forwarded by the Energy, Water and Communications Ministry. Zainuddin discussed the blog issue and how the island republic was approaching the matter in a meeting this morning with his counterpart, Information, Communications and the Arts Minister Dr Lee Boon Yang.

The Malaysian minister said Singapore had formulated a mechanism for the registration of blogs which consistently churned out articles on politics. He pointed out that Singapore had a class licensing framework to supervise new media forms such as blogs, subjecting them to certain code of ethics under the supervision of the Media Development Authority.

A class licence involves the gazetting of the terms and conditions of a particular industry, and anyone who provides the services within the scope of the class licence will be deemed to have read and agreed to the terms and conditions, and would be considered licensed.

Zainuddin felt that the method implemented by Singapore was practical and it could possibly be modified for use in Malaysia. "We'll see whether or not this version can be done in Malaysia. I don't know yet but I feel that the method is a practical one," he said.

***** There are so many good schemes and projects that Singapore undertakes and innovates which can and should be emulated here. Yet our diktator tempatan goes only for the repressive side of Singapore's own deluded insecurity, impatience and intolerance. If he truly believes that blogs can be compelled to register, then there is no harm if we feel strongly that he should be certified under the Mental Health Act (or whatever it is now called).
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Related report: Shaziman denies censorship goal.
Another gem from Zam: Information Ministry Has To Counter Lies By Opposition.

How Did This Dunce Make It To Parliament?

Another low IQ tin-pot dictator in the making spoke in Parliament yesterday and he wants the government to find ways to curtail bloggers from 'abusing' the Internet to spread lies and defame the leaders! Ismail Sabri Yaakob, a Barisan Nasional nitwit representing the parliamentary constituency of Bera further added, "we notice that a lot of bloggers have been sowing the seeds of discord among the races, religions... I believe there must be a limit."

Almost reflexly this apparently intellectually challenged Yang Berhormat gave the age old and primitive remedy for things he can't or doesn't want to understand (the when in doubt, cut it out mentality) by opining that there ought to be a law governing bloggers like those imposed on the print and broadcast media!

The one sane statement from him at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday was, "the people believe more in the bloggers than the newspapers." He did hazard a guess why this is so by saying, "I am aware that a newspaper was censured by the Internal Security Ministry for publishing a sensational story but the bloggers could continue churning out 'malicious' stories." In other words the mainstream media is muzzled therefore no one believes them and since the rakyat trusts the blogs, the government must, in true 80s and 90s style intolerance, shut them out. Great going Ismail Sabri! Zainuddin Maidin would be proud of you. Who knows, an appointment at the Information Ministry may be in the offing!

Ismail Sabri is not alone in being afflicted with this intolerance malady. So used are these people to the repressive era dating back to Dr Mahathir's premiership that they haven't come out of the sheltered tempurung to see that things have irreversibly changed. If the blogs feel that some leader is doing wrong, then his or her wrongdoing will be published. If reporting this is considered by Ismail Sabri and his ilk as 'malicious,' so be it.

Another BN MP Hasni Mohamed, a pontianak from Pontian felt that cable television network Astro should come under the purview of the Broadcasting Act 1998 under the ambit of the Information Ministry and not under the Energy, Water and Communications Ministry.

He said this was to ensure that Astro would adhere to local values, culture and needs. Looks like any successful private enterprise, especially non-Malay ones, which are not indirectly owned by these greed merchants should come under the purview of some law or other to 'preserve' or 'reflect' local values. First Air Asia and now Astro.

All I can say to these MPs is I don't know how you chaps got selected to the august House but as long as you keep your trap shut, no one will notice. Start making illogical speeches and you'll be shown the door in the next elections. In the meanwhile if you've committed some crime or broken a law be sure to look up the blogs now and then, for you wont know when your name might come up for 'malicious' discussion.
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A must read for all bloggers: Blogging Freedom of Speech: Can You Really Say Whatever You Want?

Now Zam Takes Aim At Blogs.

Bernama headlines today: Don't Quote Blog Websites, Newspapers Told. And ordering the papers to ignore the ubiquitous blogs is none other than the Darth Vader of the Information Darkside, Lord Zam himself. Read for yourself the dislike that Zam has for blogs and bloggers and do I also detect a little envy that more people are now relying on blogs for info that the mainstream media refuse or dare not publish. That report below:

Information Minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin today asked newspapers not to quote from blog websites when writing news stories as the source of the information cannot be considered authoritative.

He hoped newspapers would be more responsible by quoting only authoritative sources as many bloggers were relying on newspapers for credibility.

The minister said he was disappointed as there were blog websites that have not been updated and carried inaccurate information, causing uneasiness and confusion to people surfing the websites.

"The information are posted on the blogs by people with no authority. Why you as journalists have to quote a blog website as the source of your story and then publish the news in the newspaper that has authority?" he asked.

"The information posted on the blog website may be something provocative, politically motivated, inaccurate and are mostly rumours floated for the interests of certain parties," he said. (The above is part of the report from Bernama. The full sting of Zam's venom can be accessed HERE.)
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Nazri Preaches to Us, The 'Stupid' Public.

The media and public have been told not to misuse freedom of expression in this country by spreading baseless accusations through the Internet amid a climate of government openness.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said that if the individuals concerned had concrete proof of wrongdoings, they should be bold enough to come forward and report them to the relevant authorities for action to be taken.

"We should view this as the government's openness where the people are now free to express their views on various issues compared to before. But I would advise the complainants to use the right channels as we have a legal system."

Nazri was speaking to reporters after officially opening the Negeri Sembilan Bar Committee building and the Bar Council's Legal Aid Bureau here Tuesday.

He said that if there was to be any complaint against an individual, it should be done in writing with the proof attached and sent to the authorities concerned for the complaint to be investigated.

He criticized irresponsible individuals who misused the Internet by making malicious accusations to the extent of damaging the victims' reputation.

"Don't tell me every posting in the blogs which carry such accusations must be investigated. Anyone can put anything in the blogs. What is important is that the blogger or commentator must be responsible for his or her accusations against others.

"The best thing to do is for the accuser to write directly to the authorities concerned to avoid controversies, like the accuser being investigated instead of the accused," he said. (Bernama)

***** Nazri is quite right that the government today is more open especially when compared to the intolerance demonstrated by the authorities in the 90s. However he sounds so silly when he urges the public, including bloggers to make reports with proof attached for the investigations to take place.

In the case of the DG of the ACA, a housewife filed many reports in police stations in Dang Wangi, Segambut and in Mambau, Negri Sembilan alleging sexual crimes and assault with explicit details by the victim, yet nothing was done except a big cover-up. If not for the Democracy and Anti Corruption Movement and the blogs which subsequently publicized the injustice and exposed the crimes as well as the shameful inaction by our investigators, the matter would have been buried for good. This woman had submitted a 12-page report to the police, giving full details of her alleged affair with Zulkipli when he was then the Johor police chief and alleged physical abuse at his hands. Zilch was done. Yet Nazri nonchalantly tells us the 'stupid' public, media and of course the NGOs to make reports and attach proof!

Yes Nazri you're right when you say, "anyone can put anything in the blogs." But when among the thousands of blogs and postings, if you get one that even smells of great injustice to a fellow citizen, you as a minister should feel duty bound and be the first to express concern and ensure that justice is done. Instead what you and some members of this sorry Cabinet are doing is automatically and reflexly taking the side of officials and politicians no matter if they are guilty as hell. Shame on you Nazri.
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Egypt’s Bloggers Test State Media Control.

Egyptian bloggers have come into the spotlight, on the one hand as an important forum for political debate, on the other as the target of government attempts to limit their freedom of expression.

Earlier this month, Abdel-Karim Suleiman, a 22-year-old former law student at al-Azhar Islamic university, became the first Egyptian jailed for his blogging when he was handed a four-year prison sentence.

“Despite their small number, the bloggers have established themselves as an alternative media outlet,” said Ehab el-Zalaky, a senior editor at the independent weekly newspaper al-Dustor, who has written extensively on bloggers.

Blogs also provide a platform for religious and social minorities whose issues rarely find space in traditional media. Anti-Christian discrimination in Egypt is documented in one. Blogs by lesbians discussing their desires and feelings are new outlets for self-expression.

“In a society too conservative to accept these relationships, it was the first time for such explicit bold talk to appear in an Egyptian media outlet,” said Zalaky. The case against Suleiman, a Muslim and a liberal who uses the name Kareem Amer on his blog, was based on a complaint by al-Azhar University about eight articles written since 2004.

Suleiman accused the conservative Sunni institution of promoting extremist thought. He also compared President Hosni Mubarak to the dictatorial Pharaohs of ancient Egypt. Bloggers and human rights organisations have condemned the conviction of Suleiman. They fear it sets a dangerous precedent for Internet censorship in Egypt, home to some 5,000 blogs across a population of more than 70 million people.

The Foreign Ministry has criticised the reactions to the verdict and said it was an internal matter and up to the judiciary to decide on. Writing on his blog shortly before his detention in November, Suleiman was defiant.

“I am not scared at all ... I will not back away one inch from what I wrote and handcuffs will not prevent me from dreaming of my freedom,” he blogged. Since Suleiman’s arrest, said fellow blogger Wael Abbas, 32, Egypt’s blogosphere has changed. “I cannot say I am not afraid,” he told Reuters.

“With this government one has to expect the worst.” Bloggers broke a major story in November when a number of them posted video footage and pictures of an Egyptian minibus driver screaming as he was sodomised, purportedly at a police station. The images led to the arrest of two police officers who now stand trial on charges of torture.

More torture footage has since appeared on the Internet, with the latest clip posted by Abbas showing a man in a police uniform beating and insulting two civilians. Viewed nearly 26,000 times on Abbas’s blog, the video’s authenticity could not be verified.

The Interior Ministry said allegations of systematic torture were exaggerated and part of a campaign to tarnish the image of the police. Late last year, Abbas and another blogger reported what they said was mass sexual harassment of women in downtown Cairo by scores of young men. The government denied the incident but the bloggers’detailed description sparked an outcry in the independent Egyptian media. “The time when they (authorities) thought they had control over everything has come to an end,” Abbas wrote on his blog.

Hala Botros, a blogger who writes on what she calls anti-Christian discrimination in Egypt, says that while she and many others in the religiously conservative country may not agree with Suleiman, he is entitled to express his views. Botros, 42, says she was also persecuted by security authorities for reporting on a number of sectarian clashes between Muslims and the Christian minority in southern Egypt.

“They beat up my father at night on the street and told him:’ This is a gift from your daughter’,” she said. “I was summoned to the police during the night and they treated me roughly. I was kept in solitary confinement for hours.” Prosecutors later charged Botros with harming national security and publishing false news. She was released on bail and forced to shut down her blog, Copts Without Borders. (The News International)

***** So it looks like there are other countries where bloggers face a much worse predicament than in Malaysia. At least here the government, apart from verbal caution and warnings, has not really cracked down on 'inconvenient' blogs and their owners. Of course whether similar persecution of bloggers will take place in the future is anyone's guess. Let's hope not.
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Blog-stituting Your Soul?

By Rob Baker (South Africa).
Biblical folk say that the love of money is the root of evil. Some bloggers seem to agree. In the middle of 2006 the blogosphere was shaken to its roots by a United States-based company called PayPerPost.

Cashing in
PayPerPost's business model works as follows - advertisers wishing to promote their websites approach PayPerpost. PayPerPost pay bloggers to write entries into their electronic journals, which include a link to the advertisers' websites.

"Opportunities" which PayPerPost offer bloggers range from writing about Las Vegas to websites offering Russian Brides. Payments for a blog entry range from some R30 to R7000.

This article's author tested out PayPerPost by writing 2 blog entries a day for them during January, pocketing some 3500 Rands. Not bad for some 40 hours of work.

Heck, if enough South Africans joined PayPerPost President Thabo Mbeki might just reach his employment targets (he can help by lowering bandwidth costs).

Slightly irritating
An irritation for South Africans thinking of joining PayPerPost is that they pay you through PayPal. Now considering that PayPal was co-founded by a South African (Elon Musk), it's a miserable shame that they don't cater for making payments to South African bank accounts.

This effectively restricts one to using the money received in PayPal for making payments for online purchases through PayPal, unless you're lucky enough to have a PayPal-friendly offshore bank account.

To join PayPerPost you need a blog that's been around for at least 90 days and has at least 30 blog entries. The high-paying articles stipulate that only blogs with high enough Google pageranks can take on the "opportunity" - the author's blog had a google pagerank of 3, which restricted him to a maximum payday of R140 for his highest-paying article.

A nasty was to follow, the google pagerank of his blog dropped to 2 in the middle of the paid posting (it seems Google is penalising blogs being used for paid blogging?).

If you don't like PayPerPost there are other options. With PayPerPost's success, along have come the inevitable copycats. Blogitive, Reviewme and Loudlaunch numbering in their ranks.

"Where's the ethical issue?", you may ask. The rub is that PayPerPost's advertisers often insist on the blog entry being "positive" - if you don't write positively, you don't get paid. Paid bloggers are thus forced to express enthusiasm for a product, which they may not like.

Whereas previously you could pretty much count on bloggers to write from their hearts, many of them are now prostituting their viewpoints for a fistful of cash. Cry the beloved days of innocence for the blogosphere, for they are no more. (Independent Online)

# Rob Baker glogs at http://www.p4s1.com/ and blogs at http://www.southafrica.to/
# You can flame him at yzerfontein@gmail.com.

****** Disclaimer by The Malaysian: The above report is meant purely for information and is neither an endorsement nor criticism of paid postings.
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Controversial Blog In New Zealand Shut Down By Google.

Internet giant Google has finally caved in to complaints and shut down a controversial website that posted a death threat against a New Zealand politician.

Authorities in New Zealand have complained to Google for weeks about the cyfs weblog, critical of the country's government-run Child Youth and Family (CYF) service. CYF, part of the Ministry of Social Development, is responsible for removing children from homes for care and protection.

The weblog, cyfswatch, had called on people angry at CYF to post messages containing personal information about individual social workers.

In January the ministry called in police amid fears the site was putting some of its staff at risk and a complaint was made to Google.

Following the complaint the internet company censored postings on the site, but allowed the blog, which was created on Google's blogging platform, to continue operating.

However, that situation changed after the site posted blogs threatening a politician.

With New Zealand's so-called anti-smacking bill, which would make it an offence for parents to strike their children, going before parliament, postings to the site were critical of Green MP Sue Bradford who introduced the bill.

****** So it looks like even in places other than China, Google is not beyond censoring postings and shutting down blogs outright under political pressure. Read the entire report from THE AGE, HERE
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An interesting read: HERE