Just as I was trying to start this one, two Malaysian bloggers were filed lawsuits by NSTP seeking injunctions against their blogs. I wonder if we will get into trouble? I guess not. After all, we’re just sweet innocent children far far away from home… We don’t know much about what’s going on in Malaysia… and how are we supposed to know? The media (note mostly owned by the government) decides what we need to know, and they have obviously decided we don’t need to know much.
That aside, the day has come when a member of the media is fighting against the freedom of expression, the very right they should be fighting to preserve. To be fair, the suit was for defamation, where the basis was the commercial integrity of a profit-making company. But should these mainstream newspapers be regarded as just money making firms, or should they have a moral, ethical or even legal duty to disseminate neutral information about the state of governance in a country? Should the mainstream media be allowed to be the representative and spokesperson of political parties, and more specifically the government rather than being a watchdog? As it is now, we only have these blogs doing it…and they are being torn down.
Like I said, it is true that the legal grounds of this suit has nothing to do with the state of the freedom of media in this country… legally it sounds fine, but practically, it threatens the very right to our freedom of expression, freedom of information, and the freedom to believe what we want. And even if it is not against law and constitution to control the media, even if the government should be allowed to use money to buy these newspapers and tv stations, should they still be allowed, when these information providers are not sale, to use the court to shut them up?
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7 comments:
not sure about the other, but jeff ooi sort of had it coming; his original vision of fair reporting has been usurped by some blatant displays of self-grandeur. it's foreseeable that this self-proclaimed (slightly deluded) vigilante would have at some point suffer a defamation lawsuit.
would it be fair to suggest that the load of information you are hoping to be disseminated among the Malaysian people is not ready to be absorbed by them?
by far, they have yet to show any sense of maturity.
nope - not in jeff ooi's case. if any other blogger were in his place (rocky bru notwithstanding) i would concur wholeheartedly with your suggestion.
Malaysian may probably not be mature enough to accept the truth, but this is because we have been babied by the government. They give Malaysians (at least most of them) more than they should, and we (most of us) have become dependant on them (the government). Is this not a good thing? Yes! Does the government know what they are causing? Yes! Why are they doing it? Because they want us dependant. So that we will keep voting them in!
Preservation of social balance? I doubt it.. More of preservation of political imbalance…
Rosy Cheeks
I have to agree with Rosy cheeks that this sort of dependence is what made the 90% + majoirty in the last elections possible.
That we are so dependent on them, that we cannot beg to differ for this country has never seen an alternate ruling party.
On another note, could all anonymous posts be signed with a nick, to encourage references and forthcoming discussions.
signing off
anonymous no.2
yeah... please sign your nick or name. At least if someone doesn't agree, he would know who to address when he scolds you.
And thanks for the comments, whoever you are.
i doubt dependence is the correct term to use - i don't think we're really dependent upon BN.
most of us just really haven't got anyone else to vote for.
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