Censorship or No Censorship???

Is all about Malaysia’s online censorship... Is there online censorship for Malaysia?? According to The Globe and Mail, Malaysia plans laws that will prosecute bloggers and authorities who insult Islam. In 1999, our former Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir had said that there would be no online censorship. He had also advised the Cabinet to dispense with attempts on online censorship. How about our Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi?? Will there be online censorship???

http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200803/r230915_922256.jpg



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Prime Minister Adbullah Ahmad Badawi backed civil defamation lawsuits against two of the country’s most popular political bloggers, Jeff Ooi and Ahiruddin Bin Attan. According to Joel Simon, executive director of The Committee to Protect Journalist ( CPJ), the Prime Minister’s remarks and support for this legal action against bloggers send a message that could well intimidate online writers and suppress the growth of the country’s new media. In 2006, the Communications and Multimedia Act had protected internet-based publications and blogs from state censorship, helped fill Malaysia’s new gap and prohibit the online publications of “defamatory or false information”.

According to Datuk Shaziman, the government only gave “general instruction” to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to allow all blogs and websites to function provided they adhered to provisions under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 in 2008. Besides that, Datuk Shaziman stated that 127 websites and blogs have been blocked for contravention of various provisions of the act. Moreover, our Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar stated that everyone is subject to the law even websites and blogs, they did not intend to restrain people’s freedom or right to express themselves but sometimes people might publish things that are libelous, slanderous or defamatory and the government will have to take action.

Our Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi had issued a clear warning that anyone who spreads false news on a blog or via SMS (short message system) about the country’s situation will be arrested as a threat to national harmony. Moreover, he also warned that anyone who puts inaccurate information on a blog, website or online portal could be liable and be investigated and arrested if the content troubled national harmony and let the public lose faith in the nation’s economic policies. Our Energy, Water and Communications Minister Lim Keng Yaik stated that bloggers are not above the law for what they publish in cyberspace. “Local bloggers must control the contents of their blogs and be responsible. If the content is seditious, they will have to face the music,” he said.

False or inaccurate information could make people including investors to lose faith in the economy and the country’s development programs. Hey, bloggers… Don’t ever spread false news to people via internet or SMS. You might bring trouble to yourselves. Think carefully before you do so. There is online censorship in Malaysia, remember about it… XD

Feel free to drop your comment here… =)

Sources:
URL: http://www.marketingvox.com/internet-censorship-strengthens-in-malaysia-kazakhstan-and-other-countries-031803/
URL: http://www.efa.org.au/Issues/Censor/cens3.html
URL: http://advocacy.globalvoicesonline.org/2008/08/30/who-caused-malaysia-today-to-be-blocked/
URL: http://cpj.org/2007/01/prime-minister-attacks-online-critics.php
URL: http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=6888

Vote Results (Week 2)

Do you think online censorship can benefit national security?

The second week’s poll results states that 72% of people have agreed that online censorship benefits the national security, whereas, 14% of people have disagreed that online censorship benefits the national security and another 14% of people aren’t sure if online censorship benefits the national security or not.

From the analysis we can conclude that online censorship does benefits the national security.

How?

Exposures of immorality elements and political or racial issues can evoke chaos in the country. Such elements or issue reaches the mass faster by internet compared to other media. To overcome such dilemma, online censorship helps to either ban or reduce people from viewing such elements. For instance, the newer generation is so involved in internet activities like games, music and video portals where they can easily be influenced by the vulgar or violent elements in it and can you imagine the consequence of it when people practice it around?

Another example is the recent threat to the nation which is dead of an Indian guy in the police custody. It has become a racial riot because the family claims as he has been killed in police custody and the Indians claim it as bias behaviour of police towards the Indians. This is because of the distribution of the images and videos through Youtube and social networking site like Facebook. Incites people to join networking groups to discuss information about this case which maybe false news, they seem to interpret among themselves and at the end it rises up people to be against the police and the government.

Now can you get a clear picture of how tricky it becomes when online censorship was not enforced at this time? Online censorship is not used when it is needed, that is why some people assume that it doesn't benefits national security.

To stop this kind of issues to happen, reinforcement of the online censorship law has to be made so that the misuse of the internet could be finally stopped or not the history will repeat itself.

To those who were not sure if online censorship benefits national security, we hope the information that we gave helped you to get a better picture how online censorship benefits the national security. We will get back to you with more exciting poll questions. Don't hesitate to drop us your comments.

Have a great day ahead =)

Political censorship

"I'm asking you to believe. Not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington. I'm asking you to believe in yours."

http://www.nowpublic.com/world/barack-obama-talks-about-housing-crisis-1

Change.. The successful campaign kicked off by Barack Obama, the President of United States of America, has tremendously impact the nation and also the world to change for a better tomorrow. To change for what we need. Just glancing through Barack's speeches on online website is just overwhelming.

What is his weapon tool for being such an inspiration to America and the world?

The campaign was organised wisely using the online tools to reach to the people regardless of age and race. His speeches were published in online websites to motivate people To Vote for Obama for changes. Everyone is just going bonkers about his speech that captures the heart of millions. Barack TV combined videos of Barack with their team throughout their Presidential Campaign. Not forgetting, Facebook, my Space, Twitter, Digg , Flickr, YouTube and other sites. Obama is everywhere in all the social networking sites to stay connected with his people. I would say, a very modernised and brilliant way for a political man to extend his network and to empathise the needs of the citizens. This was never done by any politicians before. I truly believe that Internet is an ideal tool to spread and convey the message to the mass audience from all generation. Internet is very useful in politics if it was used wisely to convey the message of unity and democracy.

But on the opposite, only minutes into his presidency and Barack Obama had already been censored by the Chinese. According to Los Angelos Times, references to communism and to dissent in his inaugural address were deleted from Chinese-language translations in the state news media.

During a television report, state-run CCTV abruptly cut away from the English-language video of Obama's speech Tuesday, leaving the anchorwoman and a Washington correspondent clearly befuddled about how to fill the airtime.The sentence that seemed to most irritate the Chinese came when Obama said, "Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions."

Another offending passage was Obama's admonition that "those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history." Because there was no easy way to disguise the president's meaning, many Chinese news sites omitted it.

The time difference pushed the inaugural address past 1 a.m. in China, so few viewers were watching live. If anything, reports about the censoring that circulated throughout the day might have drawn more Internet-savvy young people in China to read the speech later in English or on uncensored websites out of Hong Kong.

Obama's remarks about "facing down" communism generated much debate online. Chinese critics were irritated mostly that he lumped communism together with fascism, while others suggested that he wasn't referring to China but to the former Soviet Union. Some commented that Obama is speaking the truth, some said that it has insulted 1.3 billion Chinese.

Since the election, Obama has become a popular figure among young Chinese, with a Chinese translation of his book "The Audacity of Hope" soaring to the bestseller list. But China's leadership has shown concern that the new president will be far tougher on trade and human rights issues than President Bush was.

In a nutshell, online censorship has the advantage and disadvantage on politics. It is up to the individual to decide for himself. Is China ready for the "Obama change"? Or democracy it's just something impossible ?? What do you think?

References:

Barack Obama Official Website [Online] Retrieved 26th January 2009
URL: http://www.barackobama.com/index.php

Obama Speeches Official Website (Online, HTM] Retrieved 26th January 2009
URL: http://www.obamaspeeches.com/index.htm

Barbara Demick, Los Angelos Times, Chinese media Censor Obama's inaugural speech [Online] Retrieved 26th January 2009

URL:http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/inauguration/la-fg-china-censor22-2009jan22,0,5641912.story