Sunday 31 August 2008

Why MCA, GERAKAN & MIC Remaining in Barisan Nasional under UMNO Leadership are USELESS and IRRELEVANT to ALL Chinese & Indian Voters

Read here article in MagLab Blog

UPDATE: (2nd Sept)

MCA and GERAKAN Ministers, politicians and members are politely advised to read following articles:

MORE BAD NEWS for GERAKAN (Read here for more)

".... Kelantan UMNO Chairman, Tan Sri Annuar Musa today asked fellow Barisan Nasional (BN) component party GERAKAN to STOP DEMANDING that Umno and the BN penalise an Umno division chief (Ahmad Ismail) over his racially sensitive remarks calling Malaysian Chinese as 'SQUATTERS'.... "

"...Meanwhile, MCA vice-president Datuk Dr Fong Chan Onn said the Barisan Nasional government should consider the possibility (!!) of charging the Bukit Bendera Umno division chief with sedition.

Bukit Gelugor MCA Division Youth Chairman Koh Wan Leong called on the Yang diPertua Negri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas to strip Ahmad Ismail of his Datukship as a lesson and reminder to others not to make remarks on sensitive issues that could provoke racial sentiment." Read here for more

Quote:

" Why is the Prime Minister NOT prepared to show 'solidarity' with right-thinking Malaysians who deplore Ahmad Ismail’s insensitive, offensive, derogatory and racist remarks about the Malaysian Chinese.

I will declare my solidarity with what is right, just and true – including deploring insensitive, offensive, derogatory and racist remarks whether referring to the Malays, Indians, Kadazans or Ibans- whether it is made by a Chinese or non-Chinese leader.

Why is Abdullah not prepared to take a similar stand? "
Read here for more
-MP Lim Kit Siang

WE SAY,

We do NOT agree with the call by "The Star" Group Chief Editor, Wong Chung Wai, to " ....let Ahmad apologise, let's not go over board with talks of sacking or charging him with sedition (and) let's move on to more important things. "

NO, Wong Chung Wai, this issue of racist and offensive remarks coming from a ruling party UMNO leader is EQUALLY important when matched against the current landscape of Malaysian politics. As a respectable journalist, Wong Chung Wai should have known that better.

Offensive and racist remarks made in public against non-Malays had been coming from UMNO leaders over the last two decades TOO FREQUENTLY. Yet NOTHING was done by top UMNO leaders or by this Government to prevent these seditious remarks from being repeated.

Wong Chung Wai should have said, "Enough is Enough" of this racial provocation by UMNO leaders, instead of "Enough Said" because non-Malays had one-too-many of this nonsense from UMNO leaders.

Yes, an apology from Ahmad Ismail is NECESSARY, but it is NOT SUFFICIENT.

Ahmad Ismail must be made as a clear example to other UMNO politicians that Malaysians of all races do not, and WILL NOT tolerate, again and again this kind of offensive racist attitude and behaviour and to categorically state it has no place in 21st century Malaysia. More so because Ahmad Ismail IS an UMNO Division Chief.

Wong Chung Wai's call is a real cop-out and insensitive to the genuine concerns of the Chinese community in the country, irrespective of either side of politics.
- Malaysian Unplug

NOTE: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said UMNO leaders should STOP using racial sentiments to seek support from the people. He told reporters Saturday at a thanksgiving luncheon in Kampung Permatang Pasir, Permatang Pauh:

“That is exactly what 'low class' politicians would do.Why did he (Ahmad Ismail) talk that way? Perhaps out of some political motives.

However, he should have been more careful before making any comment.

Why is he trying to instigate the emotions of other races?

This is just another instance that explains why UMNO will lose its dominance in Penang.

They (Umno leaders) do not seem to understand history very well.They are not being respectful and sensitive toward the feelings of the non-Malays.
Read here for more and here


---------- END OF UPDATE ---------------

Here is a Typical RACIST UMNO LEADER
- Who Labeled ALL Chinese Malaysians as SQUATTERS
Ahmad Ismail,
UMNO Division Chief
Bukit Bendera Division Penang

WE SAY:His public statement is outright SEDITIOUS!
He Should be Arrested and Charged !!!

WE ASK : Why has NOT the UMNO-BN Government instruct the Police to arrest and charge this UMNO Division Chief under ISA for such racist remarks that undermine racial harmony ?

There is Only ONE Simple Reason for that: Because he IS an UMNO man! Period.
And the Police does NOT arrest an UMNO Leader.Period.

And that's the Malaysia that we inherit from this UMNO-BN Government as we celebrate the 51st Anniversary of Merdeka!
-Malaysian Unplug

AND OTHERS........














The end of communal politics?

by

S.K. Thew

Frankly speaking, most of the time, I just couldn’t understand why the minority coalition parties like MCA, Gerakan, MIC and etc. continue to stick with Umno in BN even though they continue to be harassed and humiliated by their big brother?

Let’s take a look at the recent Permatang Pauh by-election.

During the campaign period, Bukit Bendera Umno division head Ahmad Ismail (see photo above) had said Chinese were "squatters" in the country, who were both selfish and unjust, at a ceramah on Aug 24 whilst trying to buttress support for BN candidate Arif Shah Omar Shah in the by-election contest against opposition icon Anwar Ibrahim.

MCA being the usual MCA, feeling intimidated by the allegation, started to make furious calls openly demanding an apology and explanation from Ahmad.

MCA Youth has submitted a letter yesterday demanding an open apology, retraction and a promise not to make similar statements in the future while Federal Territories MCA Youth today launched a signature campaign outside the MCA headquarters in Kuala Lumpur to condemn Ahmad, demanding that he be sacked from his party.

The questions are: Is Ahmad going to apologize?

Let’s presume he is going to. If that’s the case, is he going to show the sincerity and feeling repent of his remarks hurled against the Chinese community?

Again, even if he does, MCA is fighting a non-cause as history has shown us that the similar antic will resurface in the future, it’s only a matter of time before the racial remarks will be repeated?


(Note: Here's the BAD news for MCA and Gerakan: Ahmad Ismail is let off the hook by the President of UMNO. Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi as President of UMNO/Prime Minister ONLY said he will personally see to it that Bukit Bendera Umno chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail does not repeat his remarks about the Chinese community. Abdullah Badawi said: I’ll tell him not to do it again. You know during campaigning all sorts of things can come up. I don’t think he meant it. I’ll make sure to tell him not to say it again.” He did NOT ask Ahmad Ismail to apologise for his statement, did not ask him to retract his statement and did not initiate disciplinary action for Ahmad Ismail's seditious statement.

This is despite the DEMAND by MCA and GERAKAN for Ahmad Ismail to retract the statement and for UMNO to take disciplinary action against him.

Bukit Mertajam MCA division chairman Lau Chiek Tuan had said disciplinary action should be taken against Ahmad. “An apology is not enough to the Chinese community. We want Umno to take disciplinary action against him. We want him to leave Barisan and Umno because he has broken the racial harmony (of the parties),” said Lau, adding that the division had also lodged a police report against Ahmad.

The fact is Ahmad Ismail was not reprimanded publicly by the President of UMNO and Ahmad Ismail did NOT apologise or retract his statement. That much MCA and GERAKAN have to swallow their ego and pride as a Component Partner of Barisan Nasional.Read here for more
- Malaysian Unplug )

I can’t help but to wonder, the public protest organised by the MCA Youth to show their displeasure is the only channel for them to highlight their frustration to the big brother?

Does that mean MCA, Gerakan, MIC and the rest of the ministers representing the smaller component parties have no say at all during the Cabinet meeting, hence the public dissent?

The same goes to Gerakan too. It’s acting president Koh Tsu Koon, being his ownself only can afford to say that Barisan’s defeat in the by-election is another wake up call for the ruling coalition.

(Note: Gerakan, a component of the Barisan Nasional (BN), has called for stern action against Bukit Bendera Umno division head Datuk Ahmad Ismail over his recent "seditious" remarks on the Chinese community.

In George Town, Tanjung Gerakan Youth division chief H’ng Khoon Leng lodged a police report at the district police headquarters in Patani Road over Ahmad’s alleged remarks.Read here for more
-
Malaysian Unplug

What a shame, especially when he continues to show dissatisfaction and at the same time,Umno continues to ignore him at their own peril.

Why?

Probably Umno knows that Tsu Koon will continue to stick together irregardless of the difficult situtation the party is being put in since Gerakan has nowhere to go! No?

Then, how about the tsunami wave of change in the recent General Election? Isn’t that a wake up call for BN too? If it’s indeed a wake up call, why BN continues to act arrogantly and takes the rakyat for granted?

What is the role of Gerakan who claims to act as the Opposition within the BN in fighting to ensure that BN does wake up from the painful lesson?

Is it because they’re too afraid to speak up or there isn’t any opportunity at all for them to speak up, ever since the heavy defeat suffered by most of the Gerakan candidates, including Tsu Koon himself?

Why can’t he understand Gerakan is no longer relevant, especially when former party stalwart Toh Kin Woon who is dubbed as the "Conscience of BN" left Gerakan to openly expressed his support towards the "movement led by Anwar"?

What about many Gerakan leaders who had lost hope towards Gerakan and gradually deserting the party in seeking a more ideal ideology like the one practised by the Pakatan Rakyat coalition?

Nevertheless, the entire affair which have taken place so far, I’m sure, has set the minority component parties in ruling coalition into deep thinking mode on whether they still can play an effective role in building a better Malaysia for us to live in.

Or else, necessary reform must be taken to rejuvenate themselves before they can convince the people that they, together with their big brother Umno have indeed awaken from the disastrous outing on March 8 and the most recent by-election.

Perhaps, the high-level acceptance shown by the people towards the "People’s Government" by the PR coalition proves that Malaysians nowadays are a lot more mature than what the Government wants us to be. (It) means the beginning of the death of sectarian politics long practised in this country, hence the irrelevance of racial based parties in Malaysia’s political landscape.

COMMENTARY

From Cakap Tak Serupa Bikin Blog: Read here

Excerpts:


Over the last decades we can NEVER hear of Umno leaders and BN leaders owning up to their mistakes or openly admitting of their racist character and behavior.

They always have excuses and fallacious reasons.

But when bloggers and blog commenters made any such remarks, we will have the police coming after them and charging them for sedition.

When the Bar Council wants to have a forum pertaining to the laws relating to the constitutional provisions in regard to individual rights and liberty with respect to religion of their will, we have specific groupings of people who would use force and coercion to derail such events and all of which was done in the name of God and color.

It is as if God is so weak that He needs human intervention to save Him and protect His interest.

We also often hear of bigots who had relentlessly proclaim all kinds of rights and privileges which are illusory and fictitiously transliterated to serve their motives and mens rea to derive special interest for themselves which are factually oppressive and discriminative, yet claimed that such was what as enshrined in the constitution.

I do not know whether they do not have intellectual ability to understand and interpret the constitution or that they intentionally re-write the constitution to suit their motive and greed.
Article 153 had often being cited as a right and privilege. But the truth in Article 153 wasn't so.
Article 153 has expressly provided for fairness, justice and equality of EVERY citizens of the nation and had NEVER express discrimination and oppression.

Far more perplexing is the fact that these propagators and bigots are MUSLIMS.
If we read the Quran, the behaviors and acts were contrary to that as expressed in the Quran. They are believers of Islam but acted AGAINST Islam and acted in the name of Islam.

I had been reading the Quran for years and I just could not comprehend these characters and behaviors which was expressly denounced in the Quran and expressly denounced by Prophet Muhammad himself.
All over the chapters in the Quran we read of virtuousness, fairness and reasonableness, gratitude and protecting the weak and minorities.
But in Malaysia, it is about suppression of the minorities and enslaving them, making them second class, threatening them, debasing them, and depriving the poor of educational opportunities in the name of protection of the majority as espoused by the vice chancellor of UiTM; and he claimed it was Article 153 again.

The most unfortunate for them is that the minorities were protected by Allah as can be observed. Allah knoweth all, and Allah knoweth those who were evil.
Allah protects the weak and discriminated. Allah says He would punish the evildoers.
Allah is great!
RELATED ARTICLE

UMNO PERCEIVED AS RACIST, SAYS KU LI

Read here on Malaysia-Today


Excerpts:


Umno is now perceived by many to be racist because its leaders cannot articulate effectively to the masses about the pre-Independance social contract, nor can they defeat abuses of the New Economic Policy (NEP), says Tengku Razaleigh.

Umno has lost its intellectual capacity to address misgivings among Malaysians and this has led to a perception that it is a racist party.

The Kelantan prince said it has now become common to see people define Umno as a racist party.

'Of late, the Malays have become reckless and bad drivers until the Government is branded as inefficient,” he said.

Tengku Razaleigh said another step towards reinventing the party is to restore the moral credibility in the party.

''Is it too late? I hope not but Umno must come to terms about regaining the trust of the people. It must be seen as trustworthy.''
Readers 's Comments:

Read here for more

  • Kuli, u jangan buat tak tahu bahawa rejim junta-umno adalah parti RACIST !!!!
    Najis & Kerismudin pernah declared "cuci keris dgn darah kaum cina"
    Bkt Bendera Ahmad Ismail "kaum cina adalah squaters"
    NEP polisi rejim adalah racist !
    UiTM adalah racistUMNO IS RACIST. FACE THE FACTS, Tengku.
  • The facts are, UMNO doesn't care what others think of it. Least of all the non-malays. It's a case of: "We are racist, so what? You don't like it? What are you going to do about it? What CAN you do about it?" That is the truth isn't it? So no need to pretend and say what's the politically right thing to say.

  • We the RAKYAT knew this long time ago.... Tell us something we don't already know.

  • Ku Li attempt to rationalise racism in UMNO was akin to what PW Botha did when he defended Apartheid in white South Africa. Any race based policy is racist. period.

  • Frankly speaking, up to this point, racism comes second. We just want UMNO, MCA, MIC and Gerakan out of our life. We JUST want DAP, PAS and PK in with Anwar as PM asap.

  • Ku Li obviously doesn't really know, or pretends that he doesn't know, what racism is - his extreme example actually defends a degree of racism that is not even tolerated in the rest of the world. Ku Li, here's a definition of racism: "Racism, by its simplest definition, is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race. People with racist beliefs might hate certain groups of people according to their racial groups. In the case of institutional racism, certain racial groups may be denied rights or benefits, or get preferential treatment." Now, doesn't that sound familiar? This is not just a "perception", Ku Li, this is the reality in Malaysia

  • UMNO in its conception is based on race. The root is on race. Like religion, it is easily hijacked by extremist. Since the days on Tun Razak till today, these ugly Malaysians have dragged us down and backward. Systematically they institutionalize this with policies to maintain this house of EVIL. Once it lost its morality and conscience, it is a matter of time, implosion will set in because now they serve EVILS. EVIL will even consume the father. UMNO and all the other racist parties who wish to hoodwink the public with the same old bag of tricks will be vanquished. Like followers of great soul like Martin Luther King and Gandhi; who emanate the Light; many Malaysian such as RPK, Dr. Azly and many others who are the custodian to keep the light shinning then Malaysia will have HOPE.My Merdeka Wish is to TRUE and BELOVED Malaysians, a list to great to list here, which we all share the same heart and consciousness, RPK, Dr. Azly, Wan Azzizah, Vermon, and many selfless watchtowers, long live Malaysia.
  • Dear Ku Li, you are already in retirment and have already made your millions.I think the best for you and Malaysians is that you continue to enjoy your retirement, join PKR as an advisor, lend your support to PKR to bring about a new Malaysia. This way, you will increase tremendously your standing in the mind of Malaysia.It is really pointless trying to save the unsavable evil and corrupt UMNO, much less to lead it. UMNO is beyond salvation ! Just let it die !! A new and properous Malysia will emerge.It is pointless, even if you are lucky enough to become the president of UMNO, it will be an extremely tough task for you against Anwar and the opposition. All the crooked the UMNO warlords who have no skills other being racist and corrupt, they would allow any UMNO leader to change their way for the better of Malaysia.Moreover, in the mind of most Malaysians, Anwar is the most competent of all MAlay leaders and has good reputation in the world.
    If you could lend your support to Anwar, you will leave your good name in Malaysian history. Why not you do the obvious ?

  • UMNO perceived to be racist? What a joke! UMNO is not only racist, it’s corrupted, destructive, and bullying. And now you, Razaleigh, are suggesting that it should be dictatorial as well.

  • UMNO IS A RACIST PARTY..it is racist to its own bangsa..for it only takes care of those who are well connected....in the kampungs and the pedalamans the mak ciks and the pak ciks and the single mothers are completely forgotten..what more the orang aslis???
    There is a very vocal group of new Malays just converted into Islam and who are graabbing all the HAK MELAYU ..and are enjoyoing and doing better than the original Muslims and original Malays..so RACISM IS ALSO INSIDE UMNO..the UMKU
    ( the umno orang kurang upaya melayus) and the ordinary Malay who is walking the streets. Over in Sabah,Sarawak, Kelantan, Pahang and Trengganu it is the same trend..remember the Mercedes Benzes??? As for the Indians and Chinese they now believe they are 2nd class citizens...something very shameful even though they WERE born here and have celebrated merdeka for 51 years..Converted Mtamaks and others have been given 1st class citizenships although they may hve been only here the last 10 years or so..IS THIS NOT A TOTAL ABUSE OF THE SYSTEM AND THE CONSTITUTION.??

    ON THE WORSE SIDE MCA
    (main cina always) and MIC ( makan india cukup) have been treating their communities like dirt..and whacking away whatever dished out by UMNO..so we have a father eating his own child...

    -- CARRYING AND SHOWING THE KERIS
    --SHOUTING IN PARLIMENT FOR THE CHINESE AND INDIANS TO BALIK CINA AND INDIA
    --ABUSE OF INDIANS IN SCHOOLS..
    --ABUSE OF INDIANS IN CIVIL SERVICE
    --ABUSE OF INDIANS IN UNIVERISITES
    --ABUSE OF INDIANS BY POLICE..

    and a new ONE!!! Ahmad had allegedly called the Chinese "squatters" and said that
    "as the Chinese were only immigrants it was impossible to achieve equal rights amongst races" during a ceramah in Permatang Pauh on Aug 25.

    YES RACISIM IS PRACTICED NOT ONLY BY UMNO BUT BY MCA AND MIC...THE RAKYAT IS NOT THAT STUPID NOW...THE LAST TIME YOU BUGGERS CENSORED ALL THE PROTESTS AND ABUSES REPORTED..BUT NOW WE HAVE THIS CYBERSPACE TO TELL EVERYONE WHAT IS REALLY HAPPENING behind the closed doors of UMNO/MCA and MIC. I hope that these 3 parties DIE...AND DIE FOR GOOD...AND KULI..I HOPE THAT YOU ARE NOT IN A STATE OF DENIAL TOO!!!!!

  • TENGKU, YOU ARE OBVIOUSLY IN A STATE OF OBLIVION AND HOW DIVORCED ARE FROM THE REALITY IF YOU BELIEVE UMNO NEVER SUBSCRIBED TO POLICIES OF RACISM..............NOW YOU CAN RETURN TO YOUR SLUMBER AND YOU WAKE UP I HOPE YOU ARE MORE ENLIGHTENED

On THIS Merdeka Day (31 August 2008), Fascism is Truly Alive and Strong in Malaysia, With Compliments of UMNO-BN Government

From Malaysia-Today: Read here
FASCISM: Fascism is an authoritarian nationalist political ideology and mass movement that is concerned with notions of cultural decline or decadence, and which seeks to achieve a millenarian national rebirth by exalting the nation or race, as well as promoting cults of unity, strength and purity.
Read here for more on FASCISM
Malaysian law, specifically the Federal Constitution, in theory promises freedom of speech, assembly and religion.

In practice, all these freedoms are denied.

1. Invoke a threat

Malaysia has technically been under emergency law since 1969.

That’s right, the Emergency Powers imposed in the wake of the May 13th riots 39 years ago were never officially rescinded and are still in force throughout the entire country.

The most well known Emergency Power is the barbarous Internal Security Act (ISA). Additionally, supposed threats to ‘religious sensitivities’ or ‘racial harmony’ are commonly used by BN to justify the latest government crackdown.

2. Establish a gulag

If you’re unlucky enough to be detained under ISA, a gulag is exactly the nightmare you will face. ISA detention centres are an infernal existence where detainees, without any sort of formal charges, face torture and inhuman treatment.

They are totally cut off from their families, legal representation and the outside world. How many unfortunates indefinitely languish in this sort of hell?

The government knows, but isn’t telling—that number is a state secret.

3. Develop a paramilitary force

RELA is just such a force—a shady, untrained, baton-wielding paramilitary group with a long track record of questionable activities. The existence of RELA provides the government with a useful band of thugs immune from prosecution or oversight.

UMNO Youth also functions in ways similar to RELA.

UMNO needs this thug caste in order to create a climate of fear, intimidate political rivals, and maintain their power.

4. Surveil ordinary citizens

The Malaysian authorities regularly use ISA to conduct wiretapping, monitor conversations, read the mail, and to closely scrutinize the movements and activities of anyone deemed “a threat to national security”--in other words, potentially anyone.

The Anti Corruption Act also permits such sweeping surveillance and denial of privacy.

In recent years, extensive CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) systems have been installed in urban areas in Malaysia which permit much greater observation of the public.

5. Restrict citizen’s groups

Freedom of association in Malaysia is heavily restricted on the grounds of maintaining “racial harmony and public order.”

Groups of seven members or more must be approved and registered by the government under the Societies Act of 1996, which has periodically refused or revoked registrations for political reasons.

Leaders of said groups (i.e. HINDRAF) often face arbitrary arrest and detention under ISA.

6. Arbitrarily detain citizens

RPK certainly knows how this feels, having been detained several times in recent years on one pretext or another.

The cops, like RPK has told us, describe it as coming to the station to “record your statement”.

But what it all amounts to is interrogation and detainment. RPK is not the only one to have suffered such treatment at the hands of the police. Some 20,000 are estimated to have been detained in a similar way from 1960 through 1990.

7. Target key individuals

Civil servants, academics, politicians and others who openly disagree with the government face censure, job loss, or worse under Malaysian laws, such as the Universities Act of 1971.

Bloggers in particular are targeted; they have been monitored, roughed up, arrested and have faced civil lawsuits.

In another instance, in January of this year, four opposition politicians were prosecuted under the Sedition Act for revealing a controversial highway concession agreement following a series of protests against toll hikes.

8. Restrict the press

All major Malaysian media outlets carefully hew the official party line.

Why such scrupulous adherence?

Because the prime minister, thanks to a licensing scheme that was rammed through the BN-controlled legislature (the 1984 Printing Presses and Publications Act), gives the prime minister (as the minister of internal security) total authority to revoke media licenses without judicial review.

So BN can shut down any newspaper, radio or TV station that gets out of line by withholding their license to operate. Any such decision is final and cannot be appealed.

Journalists also face harassment and attacks from police while trying to cover political events such as public protests and elections.

9. Cast dissent as treason


Overt dissent of government actions and policy has never been tolerated in Malaysia.

For example, UMNO tried to cast Anwar in the recent Permatang Pauh by-election as a race traitor, due to his plan to end the NEP (New Economic Programme), a key plank in UMNO’s political agenda that awards government assistance and benefits based solely on race.

And then there’s RPK’s upcoming trial for sedition, which has a case solely based on an article the defendant authored that is highly critical of senior government officials.

10. Subvert the rule of law


Malaysian law, specifically the Federal Constitution, in theory promises freedom of speech, assembly and religion. In practice, all these freedoms are denied.

Muslims do not have a right to leave Islam, and citizens’ groups, if not outlawed, can be denied use of public areas.

Malaysian law explicitly forbids any censorship of the Internet, but the order was given anyway last week by MCMC to block Malaysia Today.

If it looks, smells, feels, tastes, and sounds like FASCISM, then that’s precisely what it is.

Fascism in Malaysia is now a REALITY, and was brought to you by BN.

Saturday 30 August 2008

MCMC : A Bunch of Clever-by-Half Idiots

Read here in Aisehman Blog

----UPDATE:----

How To Get Around MCMC-Blockage of Malaysia-Today Website

From Colin Charles Agenda Blog: Read here

Excerpts:

To TMnet Subscribers in Malaysia

TMNet has a known list of DNS servers, the most common being: 202.188.1.5 and 202.188.0.133. Apparently, some also get on 202.188.1.4 and 202.188.0.132.

If you need your Malaysia Today fix, the IP address is still valid -
202.75.62.114.

For commenting, try logging at: http://mt.harapanmalaysia.com/2008/. OR http://mt.m2day.org/2008/

I suggest you stop using TMNet’s DNS services.

Switch to
OpenDNS (I would suggest switching ISP, but welcome to the monopoly that is Malaysia, right?). You can change it on your computer or router, or just use the nameservers if you know how: 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220.

Otherwise, there are ways to change it on Windows (
XP, Vista, 2000), Mac OS X (Leopard, Tiger) or even Linux (Ubuntu, Fedora).

OpenDNS is a workaround.

From Bernice Low on CNET-ASIA: Read here

Excerpts

Malaysia Today's Administrators have set up a (Click here) Blog on Livejournal to keep Malaysians updated in the event that MToday is hacked or blocked. Its administrator has posted this singular message:

".... As of 26th August 2008 @ 8.20PM, if you are having trouble accessing Malaysia-Today.net please use:- http://mt.harapanmalaysia.com/2008

0R

http://mt.m2day.org/2008/

This will be a temporary site. TMNet Streamyx is blocking http://malaysia-today.net/ on their service-level.

To overcome this problem,you need to define your primary DNS server as 208.67.222.222 and secondary server 208. 67.220.220 either on your router or yourPC/notebook. This will beat the blockage.Updated:

You can also type the IP address of Malaysia-Today.com directly into your browser URL - 117.120.1.155. "

---- End of Update -------



What An Idiot !


Mohamed Sharil b. Mohamed Tarmizi

Mohamed Sharil b. Mohamed Tarmizi, currently the Chief Operating Officer of MCMC, was formerly an Executive Director of Binafikir, an advisory and consulting firm covering the areas of policy, strategy, corporate finance advisory and Islamic structured finance services.

Mr. Mohamed Sharil was also a representative of the GOVERNMENT in ICANN as the Chairman of the Government Advisory committee (GAC).

His immediate past position was as the Senior Advisor in the Office of the Chairman at the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission.

The MCMC Commission Members

The powers and functions of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission are as provided under the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Malaysia Act, 1998. The members of the Commission are :

Datuk Dr. Halim Shafie (Chairman

Dato' Dr Halim Man

Dato' Dr Gan Khuan Poh

Datuk C. Rajandram

Dato' Abdul Hanan Alang Endut

Datuk Dr. Abdul Samad bin Haji Alias

Encik Idris bin Abdullah

Encik Mohamed Sharil Mohamed Tarmizi


"NOTHING IN this (Communications and Multimedia - 1998") Act shall be construed as permitting the censorship of the Internet. "
- Section 3 (3):ACT 588, COMMUNICATIONS AND MULTIMEDIA ACT 1998


Note:

For those in Malaysia intending to access articles of the so-called banned Malaysia-Today, click here MT-HARAPAN MALAYSIA

0R http://mt.m2day.org/2008/

(mirror site of Malaysia-Today)

MCMC chief operating officer Sharil Tarmizi said (as reported by Malaysiakini),

"We are governed by the Communications and Multimedia Act (1998) which allows us to take preventive measures and advise our license holders (such as ISPs) when a service user may be contravening national laws"
Under Section 263 of the Communications and Multimedia Act (1998), a licensee must “use his best endeavour” to prevent his/her facilities from being used to violate any law in the country”.

Commentary

From The Aisehman Blog

Excerpts:

Which specific parts of Malaysia Today has been found to be in violation of the law?

MCMC must state these things clearly and specifically.

But it can’t, because Raja Petra has NOT been found guilty of anything that would allow MCMC to act within the law.

And the law does NOT empower MCMC to block access to Malaysia Today (which is an act of censorship), even if Raja Petra has been found guilty.

You know why?

Because the law — specifically Section 3 of the Communications and Multimedia Act — that MCMC must adhere to states that:

"Nothing in this Act shall be construed as permitting the censorship of the Internet. "

That clear enough, MCMC?

You CANNOT invoke Section 263 to legalise censorship because Section 3 says that you cannot construe any provision in the Act as permitting censorship.

In other words, as far as censoring the Internet is concerned, NO provision of the Act is open to such interpretation.

Therefore, MCMC has acted OUTSIDE of the law in instructing ISPs to block access to Malaysia Today.

The instructions themselves are illegal.

YES, if Raja Petra is found guilty of violating the law for publishing certain content on Malaysia Today, MCMC can then instruct him to REMOVE the content in question.

The act of ordering the removal of specific content from Malaysia Today is NOT censorship. The act of blocking access to the website IS.


Looks like Malaysia Today! Reads like Malaysia Today! Is it Malaysia Today?

From "
People's Parliament": Read here

Excerpts:

I went to a website accessible through http://mt.harapanmalaysia.com/2008/
and, yes, it does resemble the Malaysia Today that I have grown accustomed to.

Go on, have a look yourself and tell me if that does not look and read like Malaysia Today.


Blocking Blogs

From
Mahathir's Blog: Read here

Excerpts:

When a Government makes a promise to the country and then reneges on its promise, then not only will the Government lose credibility but also any respect that the public may have for it.

But to break a promise and to openly show that you can meddle with the security of the internet is to expose a degree of oppressive arrogance worthy of a totalitarian state.

.. This blockage of the blog is another evidence that this has become an authoritarian state, elections notwithstanding.

Where are we heading? The censorship of news in the mainstream media is known to the public.


When a Govt Reneges on its Promise ...

From Rocky's Bru: Read here

Excerpts

Malaysia's promise of no Internet censorship was given by Dr Mahathir Mohamad when he was Prime Minister. Did you know, or remember?

In 1998, when cyberspace was used by the Reformasi soldiers, including Raja Petra Kamaruddin, to wage war against his government and his person, Dr M did not censor the Internet.

He did NOT break Malaysia's promise to the world.



MCMC and the slippery slope

From Ong Kian Ming and Oon Yeoh: Read here in Malaysiakini

Excerpts:

By blocking access to his site, the BN has once again shown its propensity to score own goals (We should actually set up a running tally to show the number of times which the BN has put the ball in its own net).

Soon after it was announced that MCMC was blocking his site, RPK set up mirror sites and various e-mail nodes and websites (including Malaysiakini) were alerting his readers of these sites.

Furthermore, the action taken by the MCMC to block his site only added further fuel to the anti-BN sentiment that is prevalent among most bloggers in Malaysia, especially those with the most eyeballs.

If the government thought that blocking RPK would send a strong signal to other bloggers not to go overboard in their anti-BN postings, they thought wrongly.

Not only did the MCMC fail to block access to his site among his Malaysian readers, it also failed to cow the blogosphere, which has been very critical of this move.

Click here to read Other Readers of Malaysiakini's comments


Stifling the Voices of Dissent

From Ancient Mariner Blog: Read here

Excerpts:

The biggest joke must surely be the fact that as of this morning, MT is still up and running via a mirror site, here.

Home Minister Syed Hamid has defended the blocking of access, saying MT had ignored warnings against publishing "libellous, defamatory and slanderous" articles and comments by its readers. Sheeesh.

Coming from a trained lawyer, this must surely be the stupidest shit among the drivel originating from this man's mouth.

RPK has a democratic right to operate his website and there are enough laws in this country to charge him if he steps out of line.

Stifling the voices of dissent will surely prove to be this government's downfall.

Don't they ever learn?


MCMC, stop being silly!

From New Malaysia: Read here

Excerpts:
The decision to shut down Malaysia Today is totally unnecessary and unconvincing. Sue him, arrest him, charge him or whatever but Raja Petra Kamaruddin has the right to operate his website. He has a large following but there are also many including this writer who do not agree with many things he has written.

He is outspoken, daring and imaginative ...(and he) doesn't give a damm about evidence but that is beside the point - he is entitled to his views. He has the right to write whatever he wants and if he steps out of the boundary, there are enough laws to be used against him.

In a democracy, we don't have to agree with each other but we must defend the right of everyone to speak up - including RPK and other voices of dissent.

It is not the job of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to decide what is seditious or libellious or slanderous.

Let the proper authorities do the job. The MCMC order to internet service providers to block his site is myopic and ridiculous. It goes against the Multimedia Super Corridor Bill of Guarantees which promised no censorship.

If it can happen to RPK, it can also happen to other Malaysian bloggers.

The MCMC should just end this silliness.

In Defence of Those Who Despise Me

From Khairy Jamaludin MP Rembau Blog: Read here

No other website has caused me as much bad rep and deliberately destroyed my character as Raja Petra Kamaruddin's Malaysia Today.

Yet I cannot help disagreeing with the recent move by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to block access to the site.

Such blatant and crude employment of State power is inconsistent with the widening of the democratic space – an approach the current Administration adopted long before the 12th General Election.

Citizens' right to information aside, MCMC's high-handed approach also sends out the wrong message as it is at odds with the Multimedia Super Corridor Bill of Guarantees – a ten-point Bill that prescribes zero Internet censorship.

The government will do well to appear consistent in its application of Internet regulation and steadfast in its commitment to ensure, wherever possible, free access to information as controversial or inaccurate as they may often be in Malaysia Today's case.

I am sure many are aware that Raja Petra is for the time being hosting the site elsewhere. It is quite bemusing that MCMC should have thought the blocking of access to Malaysia Today would actually succeed. Internet censorship may not only be unnecessary, it is quite often impossible, especially when the targeted site is, for better or worse, one of the most popular across the country.

Few would disagree with the view that Malaysia Today deliberately invites controversy upon itself and does its best to elicit reaction from the government and certain individuals that become targets of Raja Petra. In his incessant desire to concoct sensationalism, he often peddles half-truths and occasionally, outright lies.

The inability to judiciously moderate comments also results in racially and religiously offensive remarks being posted without any restriction by the web master.

Nevertheless, none of these should justify an attempt at outright censorship. There are ample alternative channels to pursue action if desired - public rebuttals or civil suits for defamation are a few. And from personal experience, I find it apt sometimes to simply ignore the site and its wild stories even at great cost to my own reputation.

Apart from violating the principle of openness and transparency that this Administration champions and that I have publicly defended, this move also threatens to further alienate young, urban voters from Barisan Nasional.

This act of censorship betrays a lack of faith in Malaysia's youth to intelligently decide the truth for themselves. Tabloids sell far more than broadsheets in many countries, but it would take a bold person to suggest that readers of The Sun or The Mirror in the UK, for example, take all of its content at face value.

I see every indication that bright young Malaysians, too, can apply the same self-filtering process. What they will not stand for is the State imposing its own filter on the Web. The Barisan Nasional government needs to be savvier in responding to issues on the Internet.

Incidentally, YABhg Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed has also blogged on this issue and similarly proposed that the government avoid Internet censorship.

And so I find myself on the side of both Raja Petra and Tun Dr Mahathir. It could either mean that I find myself as Alice in an impossible Wonderland or just simply the magic of the Ramadhan spirit is at work.


Related Article

Bloggers slam MCMC over blog ban

Read here in Malaysiakini

Excerpts:

Bloggers questioned the independence of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

Pro-tem president for National Alliance of Bloggers, Ahiruddin Attan was upset that the government was backtracking on their previous promise of not censoring cyberspace. Further, he was unsure of MCMC's independence.

"I don't see MCMC as an independent body. Especially when they are acting in the interest of the government. This will just make people speculate that they are under the direct control of the government," said Ahiruddin.

Jeff Ooi, a blogger-turned-politician (DAP MP for Jelutong) echoed the same, saying the MCMC was acting on behalf of the government. He said,

"However, if MCMC decided to take this banning trend to another level (banning political blogs), I can claim immunity as a parliamentarian and I will speak up for other bloggers."
Michelle Gunaselan, an editor for ProjectMalaysia - an online journal - said the ban was unhealthy.
"When you block a socio-political site with thousands of visits daily, you are sending out a message you don't encourage discussions. More so when it runs opinions contrary to what appears in mainstream media."
She concluded that Malaysia reneging on its no-Internet censorship pledge under the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) Malaysia 10 Point Bill of Guarantees will have further international impact, in terms of how the country will be seen abroad.


Website block 'is plain stupid'

Read here article by Evangeline Majawat

Excerpts:
Raja Petra Kamaruddin must be laughing with glee.

Just a few hours after the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) ordered access to Malaysia Today blocked, a mirror website was up and running.

The blocking of the controversial Malaysia Today site, or any other website for that matter, is almost impossible as there are many ways to circumvent the ban.

"It's like trying to contain water using a sieve. It's plain stupid," said Juvita Wan, a producer with an advertising agency.

Any IT expert or tech-savvy blogger friend will tell you that the MCMC's move is not its wisest.

  1. The easiest way to circumvent the ban is to create a mirror website -- which was what Raja Petra did. It's hassle-free and quick; just a few clicks of the mouse. By 7pm on Wednesay, traffic to Malaysia Today had resumed.

  2. Another method, which is "hot among the bloggers", is the openDNS system (DNS stands for domain name service). This user-friendly system, which was started only two years ago, allows consumers to use alternative servers to the ones provided by local ISPs.

    So even if the local ISPs such as Streamyx and Time.com blocked Raja Petra's website, his supporters and any curious Tom, Dick and Harry could access his materials by doing a search with the highly efficient openDNS system.

  3. The third way is to do a search of Malaysia Today using proxy servers.
"It's completely pointless to block his website. It's cyberspace. How can you control it?," said an exasperated IT manager, who commented under the cloak of anonymity.

MCMC's move, whether politically-motivated or not, is backfiring.

Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor, under whose purview MCMC lies, may hold a press conference today. He was away in Bali when the orders were issued two days ago.

His deputy, Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum, was caught embarrassingly unaware about the debacle. "MCMC did not brief me, but they might have briefed the minister," he told reporters.

Whatever the reasons, the ministry and MCMC should perhaps look into the matter more thoroughly before hastily banning any more websites. It not only leaves a bad image and taste among the people but puts the spotlight on the country for all the wrong reasons.

Friday 29 August 2008

Time Out: Message for UMNO-BN Leaders, Members and Supporters

SAYING IT ALL IN MUSIC AND SONGS

PUT ON YOUR SPEAKERS:

  1. MALAYSIANS Have A Dream After PERMATANG PAUH Voters Elected DATUK SERI ANWAR IBRAHIM




  2. Message from Anwar Ibrahim to All Malaysians





  3. Message from Anwar Ibrahim: Malaysians, Take A Chance on Me... I'll Do My Best as Prime Minister of Malaysia





  4. Message from Pakatan Rakyat to UMNO/BN MPs: When Anwar Ibrahim Enters Parliament... Treat Him Nice.
    " When I Walk Thru That Door....You Better Be Polite....
    "





  5. Message from Abdullah Badawi to UMNO-BN Members and Supporters: Don't Leave Me Now




  6. Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi Tells UMNO: I'm Doing the Best I Can...But Its Not Good Enough for You....




  7. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's THEME SONG





  8. A Message to ALL UMNO-BN Politicians from Malaysian Bloggers












Tuesday 26 August 2008

Permatang Pauh Results: Margin of Win for Anwar Ibrahim GREATER than Wife Wan Azizah's in March Election

Go to Anil Netto's Blog for Live Update

Go to Malaysia-Today for detailed breakdown of the results


(Image courtesy of Mob's Crib)


FINAL Results

PARTI KEADILAN RAKYAT: 31,195

BARISAN NASIONAL : 15,524

Angkatan Keadilan Insan Malaysia: 92

MAJORITY: 15,671

VOTER TURN-OUT: 81%

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has won the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat with a majority of 15,671 votes.

The Election Commission announced that Anwar polled 31,195 votes while his Barisan Nasional opponent, Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah received 15,524.

Hanafi Hamat of Angkatan Keadilan Insan Malaysia (Akim), who contested as an independent lost his deposit, polling only 92 votes.

Total of 38,144 voters cast their ballots in the Permatang Pauh by-election today, accounting for 65.25% of the 58,459 registered voters in the constituency at the close of polling centres at 5pm.

Anwar's wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, won the seat with a 13,388 majority at the March 8 general elections with a bigger turnout of voters than in the current by-election.


We Say to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim,
The people of Permatang Pauh had spoken on behalf of concerned Malaysians from all over the country.
Their prayers and ours have been answered.

The Muslims prayed in their mosques for your victory.

The Christians prayed in their churches for your victory.

The Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists prayed in their temples for your victory.

Other Malaysians prayed in their respective holy of holies for your victory.

So are the Atheists, who had burnt their brains out for your victory.

You should now go forth to do your part, to fulfill their hopes, their dreams and their aspirations of an integrated community of Malaysians united by the diversity of their religion, sex and ethnicity.

You should now go forth to bring about a Better Malaysia where there is only one Anak Bangsa Malaysia.

You owe this sacred call of duty to each and every Malaysian who gave his/her all for your victory today.

With that, we congratulate you on your great victory in this crucial by-election.
-Malaysian Unplug

COMMENTARY

From Dominic Pillai a/l R.K. Pillai: Read here in Malaysian Bar Council website


This may very well be the defining moment in our nation's history.

Almost 6 months has passed since the 2008 General Elections and the ruling coalition has done absolutely nothing positive to regain our trust and confidence.

Anwar promises to be the solution to a "nation with no captain" and to "a ship dead in the water".

Although I was initially against the idea of MPs jumping ship to form a new government, but based on BN's performance over the last 6 months, I feel we may have no choice.

Anwar is right when he says that Malaysia cannot wait anorther 4 years for a new government. By then damage to our country may be irreversible.

The government has done nothing in the last 6 months to restore the public's confidence in the judiciary and most of us are very dissapointed that the de facto Law Minister has been all talk but no action.
To be fair to him I doubt the present government has the political will to carry out any meaningful reform.

20 years since the 1988 judicial crisis and we still haven't undone the damage to our judiciary. I am afraid our already fragile judiciary may not be able to take the onslaught of a 2nd "win at all cost" Anwar trial.

Anwar on the other hand promises the much needed reform. Being a victim of all that is wrong with our present system, I am sure he will keep his word.

Malaysia needs Anwar in Putrajaya sooner than later.

So voters of Permatang Pauh, we thank you for your courage.

May we soon see a better Malaysia.

- Dominic Pillai a/l R.K. Pillai




PERMATANG PAUH TO PUTRAJAYA

From MarGeeMar Blog: Read here

Excerpts:

The country has been in turmoil since the general elections on March 8, when the BN/Umno regime lost the two-thirds parliamentary majority it enjoyed for 51 years.

UMNO, the dominant party in the Barisan Nasional (National Front) Coalition has been engaged in a furious internal struggle, with Mahathir accusing Prime Minister Ahmad Abdullah Badawi of wrecking the economy and the political structure of the party itself.

Rampant corruption abetted by a civil service that is virtually an extension of the BN/Umno regime has caused the country Billions of Dollars. The practice of cronyism and nepotism that has been inherited by the Badawi regime from the Mahathir regime had only made the country's social, economical and political situation more chronic.

This is not helped either by imbecile statements and policies of PM Badawi and his ministers like Home Minister Hamid Albar and the arrogance of his son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin, who himself has his own designs for the Prime Ministership when Badawi makes his exit.

After charges were laid against the former prime minister, Mahathir Mohamed, for rigging the judiciary for political reasons, he furiously quit the party and has since engaged in an effort to bring down Badawi.

Badawi's 'anointed' deputy Najib Razak himself is fighting a credibility crisis especially with the Altantuya murder case. All these has sapped the morale of the government and resulted in a descending stock market. Concerns over inflation.

The magnitude of the loss raises further questions about Abdullah Badawi and whether there will be more political instability. UMNO nominations start next month. Given questions over Badawi's leadership, the rising prices of energy and food have contributed to the souring of voter opinion on the Barisan.

Widespread charges of corruption, particularly over the fixing of judicial posts, also contributed to the malaise.

For this reason, the People of Malaysia are looking to Anwar Ibrahim to deliver this Nation that 51 years of BN/Umno rule has brought it to the brink of the Abyss.

The Rakyat (People), after a Long March, are now knocking at the Gates of Putrajaya.


A MERDEKA UPSIDE DOWN?

From Dr Azy Rahman: Read here

Excerpts
After 51 years of UMNO-BN Government, what do we have?

  1. An irate prime minister mulling action against a blogger for flying the Malaysian flag upside-down in cyberspace;

  2. A by-election campaign in Pematang Pauh in Penang, that shows up the ugliness of smear campaigns focusing on race, religion, and personal issues instead of presenting solutions to national crises;

  3. An aborted Bar Council forum on conversion to Islam, disrupted by groups claiming to represent the survival and dignity of Malaysian Muslims;

  4. An angry Vice-Chancellor of an all-bumiputera university threatening to sue the chief minister of Selangor for the latter's suggestion that Universiti Teknologi MARA be opened to non-bumiputera;

  5. A teacher in Selangor reprimanded and transferred for hurling racial slurs at her Malaysian school-children of Indian origin;

  6. The continuing and intensified work of the prime minster's propaganda outfit, Biro Tata Negara, in ensuring that the ideology of Ketuanan Melayu remains funneled into the minds of Malay students, educators, and civil servants;

  7. The continuing refusal of the Ministry of Higher Education to grant freedom to students to gain concepts and skills of political consciousness by its refusal to radically revise the University and University Colleges Act;

  8. An increasingly cacophonic and toxic relationship between the Executive, Judiciary, and Legislative as a consequence of the 22-year rule of the previous Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad;

  9. A hyper-modernised country trapped in the excesses of nationalism and globalisation at a time when the global food and energy crisis is taking a toll on the economic and political lives of nations.
    The Losers

    Read here in Malaysian Insider

    Excerpts:

    The LOSERS from the Permatang Pauh By-Election

    - Umno

    The charade is over. This is a party without spirit. This is a party without a leader.

    Ministers, deputy ministers and other senior party officials all campaigned in Permatang Pauh but it was more out of duty than anything else. There was no fire in their bellies. Some could not care less how Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah performed in the polls. They showed up in the constituency to canvass for support in the upcoming divisional elections in October.

    One former menteri besar, eyeing a top position in the party, holed up in a hotel and dished out cash to streams of divisional officials.

    This is a party made of politicians who are consumed with their OWN interest and completely detached from reality.

    This could be the beginning of the end of this once powerful party.


    - The Barisan Nasional machinery

    There was a time when the Opposition used to shudder at the prospect of facing the formidable machinery, the women who used to campaign tirelessly from dusk to dawn, the men who braved the elements to tear down Opposition posters and ferry voters to the polling station.

    Not anymore.

    Dispirited, they just did the bare minimum in Permatang Pauh.

    In fact, it was the Pakatan Rakyat machinery which caught the eye. Their workers displayed the spirit of volunteerism which was once patented by the BN. How the mighty have fallen.


    - Abdullah Ahmad Badawi

    He was not in charge of the BN by-election team but the president of Umno and the chairman of the BN will not be able to absolve himself of blame for this dismal showing.

    The unvarnished fact is that he has not been able to inspire his party or the ruling coalition since March 8.

    If his party workers are listless, it is because they do not see him as a general capable of galvanising the troops in the face of an enemy's onslaught. If his coalition partners are feeble, it is because they do not see him as a leader capable of reviving the BN.

    In all likelihood, there will be calls for him to speed up the transfer of power.


    - Najib Razak

    Without a doubt, the deputy prime minister is hurting.

    The uninterrupted stream of attacks on his character, his wife and allegations that he was involved with the murdered Mongolian model Altantuya Shariibuu have damaged him in the eyes of the public.

    His words once used to carry weight but now they ring hollow. His decision to swear in a mosque that he was not involved with Altantuya did not find popular support. Still, he remains best placed to take over from Abdullah.

    But he will need much repair to his image before he can claim to have the support of Malaysians.

    - Saiful Bukhari Azlan

    He claimed it was a coincidence but his decision to swear on the Quran on the eve of nomination day that he was sodomised by Anwar does not look very clever now.

    A snap poll of 544 Malay voters by the Merdeka Centre painted him as a pawn in a political game.

    He should stay out of the limelight till the trial begins.

    Fearing to Lose Elections, UMNO-BN Wants to Crack Down on Malaysian Bloggers... OUCH !!!!

    Read here for more in Malaysian Insider

    The UMNO-BN government reached a sober assessment during a meeting last week involving several Cabinet ministers and senior government officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, that it could all end in tears for the Barisan Nasional at the next general election if tough action is not taken to counter allegations on the Net and hold owners of blogs accountable.

    Several ministers noted that if the government followed its current policy of allowing allegations by bloggers to go unchallenged, this would create the perception that the information being posted is accurate.

    After decades of being able to control newspapers and television stations through a raft of legislation, government officials and politicians are finding that their tools are useless in setting boundaries for new media.

    The BN underestimated the power of the Internet and committed a serious misjudgment by relying on the mainstream media in the run-up to the general election. (This) resulted in the Information Ministry reaching out to some prominent bloggers and giving them some air-time on television.

    But by and large the relationship between the alternative media and the government has remained testy.

    Supporters in Umno have been pushing for a more hardnosed approach in dealing with bloggers and operators of news portals, arguing that the softer touch by the Abdullah administration has resulted in daily attacks on ministers and BN politicians.

    Critics of the government said that instead of focusing on bloggers and the alternative media, they should strive for more accountability and transparency, and remove the shackles on the mainstream media.

    MEANWHILE in the US ..........................................

    RELATED ARTICLE

    US POLITICS: BLOGGERS Credentialed at 2008 Democratic Convention

    Read here article in Christian Science Monitor and here in PC-World website


    Bloggers in the Big Tent, a temporary structure set up in Denver
    for bloggers covering the 2008 Democratic Convention.
    (Photo courtesy of Christian Science Monitor)

    Click here List of Blogs Credentialed For The Democratic Convention

    Denver The “Big Tent” for bloggers at 1536 Wynkoop St. marks a fault line between NEW and OLD media covering the Democratic National Convention.

    The traditional media do a lot of things wrong. We want them to do things correctly. We want them to do their job,” says Markos Moulitsas, founder of the blog Daily Kos, which claims some 1.5 million unique hits a month.

    The 8,000-square-foot “tent” is two stories of reinforced canvas packed with tables, chairs, plugs, screens, wiring, bad lighting, and a critical mass of overstuffed, worn-through comfy couches and pillows.

    Of the 3,000 bloggers who requested credentials for the Big Tent, 500 were granted.

    Most are liberal or progressive blogs, but Big Tent organizers said they tried for diversity: The conservative Heritage Foundation in Washington was offered two credentials for bloggers, for instance, but took only one.

    The DNC this year expanded the number of invitees in the online community, including national, political, niche, and video bloggers. This year, 120 got floor credentials.

    The officially credentialed bloggers aren’t installed plunk in the middle of the convention floor, as is CNN, or in sky boxes with the TV crews, but they do have cordoned-off areas off the floor with desks, chairs, and plugs (no fluffy couches).

    But wherever bloggers sit, they are a presence at this convention as never before.

    We’re seeing how incredibly powerful it is to assemble the networks and the globosphere. It literally has its own gravitational pull, there are so many millions of readers,” says Dan Mahoney, who blogs on YourHub.com in Denver.

    Big Tent organizers say they are also getting calls from politicians and others eager to gain Netroots exposure.

    Daily Kos’s Mr. Moulitsas says it doesn’t matter in the end whether bloggers sit on the convention floor or away from it.

    For bloggers “to get together, it’s affirming,” he says. “We [usually] work in isolation – it’s not like a newsroom where you’re working with your colleagues. We’re in isolation and every once in awhile we get to come together and share in a big experience, and I wouldn’t miss it for the world. It feels part of a broader movement and we need that affirmation.”

    The Democratic Party says it has granted press credentials to around 120 bloggers.

    That, of course, is just a tiny sliver of the estimated 15,000 total media here in Denver, but it's more than twice the number of credentials granted to bloggers at the 2004 DNC in Boston, I'm told.

    The increased presence of the bloggers is interesting for a few reasons.

    The first is the immediacy we've come to expect of coverage of events like the one happening here; many of the bloggers will be blogging in real time from the floor of the convention center.

    Also, many of the bloggers are either one-man shows or small, independent "citizen journalism" pubs that may portray the convention in a very different way than larger "establishment" media outlets.

    The growing number of bloggers underlines the need for massive amounts of broadband connectivity here. The volume of wired and wireless calls, e-mails, instant messaging, text messages, blogs and video that will eminate from the Pepsi Center and INVESCO Field is expected to be massive.

    Qwest, the official voice and data provider of the DNC, says it added an additional 2,600 data lines and 3,400 voice circuits to support all that digital traffic from both the Pepsi Center and INVESCO Field, where Obama is expected to accept the nomination.

    Bloggers and other media people will have access to a total of 5,500 voice and data lines, Qwest says. Infrastructure-wise, Qwest says it ran an additional 3,344 miles of single strands of fiber and 140 miles of single strands of copper and coaxial cable in preparation for the convention.