The administration of Malaysia has recently issued warnings that whatever necessary actions will be taken against Bloggers putting up "inappropriate" postings in their blogs. A week prior to this warning, most of the major local newspapers conducted and reported "random surveys" to inform the public about the "lack of credibilities" of bloggers. In another word, don't trust what the bloggers wrote ! I got the funny feelings that maybe the mainstream local newspapers are losing readerships to the blogsphere !
This posting is not intended to challenge the legitimacy of any authorities to curb the expressionary freedom of the bloggers. This posting is merely a blogger's personal opinions and dissatisfactions on the unnecessary threats issued to bloggers to avoid commenting or subjects matters that are deemed to be too sensitive by some elitists. If we want to progress, we must be open minded on any subject matters and be able to express our own opinions on the perceived wrongs, rights, or shortcomings. However, if we want to be a refined mental retards, then everything will be deemed to be sensitive when it touches on our biased preferences.
For example, taking into account of the sensitivity of some Malaysians, and I guess it is always acceptable if there are groups of Malaysians demonstrating on the streets, disrupting the traffic, and causing inconveniences to the public, to voice and solicit support for Hzebollah with regards to the recent middle-east conflicts? However, is it wrong if a blogger choose to voice his differing opinion and write postings in support of Israel ? What constitute wrong and what constitute right ? and What constitute morality and ethical behaviors? As a nation, do we have the courage ( or perhaps maturity ) to accept differing but morally right opinions even if the opinions are not to the likings of some noisy Malaysians ? Hypothetically, should the rights of the noisy groups be defended even if their morality is perverted and unethical ? In this case, should the bloggers be held accountable when the rest of the so called "emotionalized" people are too narrow minded and incapable to conduct their reactions in a civilized manner ?
If a blogger post opinions that is perceived to be inappropriate, then the readers of the blog must be given the same rights to post comments to argue his position. If what the previous postings of the blogger are misrepresentation of fact, then it should be pointed out in that particular blog, and the blogger should apologized for his action to right his misrepresentations. This is what civil society is all about. What is the role of government here trying to influence the bloggers what not to posts ? Isn't the government has better thing to do to plan for the strategic wellbeing of the country rather than having the temptation to stick their fingers in the blogsphere ? The point here is, a blogger must be given the freedom to write what he deem fit and should not be subjected to indirect threats of legal or whatever actions.
It is a good thing that Malaysia still has a very liberal Internet access policies. The Internet is the last frontier in Malaysia where the administration does not have the capabilities or are compelled by the requirements of the established Multimedia Super Corridor to hands off the Internet contents. This freedom of access must be continued to encourage the diversities of digital deliveries of knowledges.
I do not read the local newspaper anymore ( unless I am very bored and has nothing left to read !). Partly because I do not think the local newspapers are capable of providing objective reporting. This personal observation of the state of local newspaper maybe ill conceived. The point here is, nobody can force me to read what I felt is no longer relevant ! Through Internet, I have the opportunity to access various free newspaper from around the world giving news reporting and editorial commentaries from various angles. The point is, whether the particular news articles are biased, sensitive, or otherwise, does not really affect my emotions or state of beings. It merely gave me the opportunity to understand event from wider perspective.
Another benefit of not buying local newspaper is, I can save RM 1.20 a day, and this translate to RM 438 a year. Enough to cuciputihkan my Google Adsense income. And, for arguement purpose, what if 5 millions Malaysians stopped buying local newspapers a year, that will translate to RM 2,190,000,000.00 savings a year. Enough money to built a new railway from Padang Besar to Johore Bahru ! And many trees will also be saved during the year. So am I politically correct and environmentally responsible to say " SAY NO TO PRINTED MEDIA WHEN YOU CAN READ IT FREE ON THE NET" ? So does it really matter, if some bloggers are not credible ?
Reading the local newspapers made me few like reading filtered marketing statements. So, forgive me if I refused to subject myself to this unnecessary absurdities of mismatches of expectations.
If I derived my judgement based on various sources of news in the net and post my comments on my blog, does that make me an irresponsible blogger if my views and comments are not in line with the mainstream media ? Should my differing views and opinions be perceived as sensitive and therefore censured on ground of protecting the public interests ? Who constitute the public interests ? Aren't we threading on a very dangerous ground of immorality and disrespect for human rights ?
Now, what is the implication of not reading local newspapers by a small pebble like me ? I don't know, but one thing I do observe is, in the past, say three years ago, if I want to buy a copy of "the Star", "New Straits Times", etc. from the local convenient stores in the evening, most likely there are no more copies left. But nowadays, go to any convenient store at 10:00PM, you will not be surprised to see a whole stack of fresh local newspapers left on the counters display pathetically waiting to be disposed off. I guess, my illogical and unscientific survey does give me an impression that, less and less people are buying local newspapers.
On the positive side, my refusal to buy and read ( or for that matter, minimized my contacts with ) local newspapers has also made me a more open minded person capable of assessing what is right and what is wrong. It made me a less violent person and enriched my ability to look at both sides of the coins in any situations.
With regards to local television channel, how many of us actually show any interest in tuning into the local channel such as RTM1, RTM, TV3, etc. for news feeds or entertainment ? Go to any home at any one time, most likely you will see the TV tuned into "wah-lai-toi", "TVBS", CNN, etc.
One thing I am quite interested to find out. Maybe some of the readers here can enlightened me. How many of you actually place advertisements in the local newspapers and televisions and are actually satisfied with the responses. The last time I place an advertisement in the classified section of a local newspapers for ONE week, guess what, not a single enquiries was generated. The same advertisement was place on the Internet free-of-charge and it attracted more than 50 enquiries. So wat does that translate to ? The local media no longer commands the readerships they used to enjoy ?
In marketing sense, the local newspapers and TV channels has lost touch with the local customers and are no longer relevant to Malaysians. I for one, has the perception that, given my limited times, I rather not waste my times reading or viewing concerted uninteresting reportings.
I sincerely felt very irritated that, warnings has been issued to bloggers not to post writings that are "sensitive", "touching on religions and race", etc. Funny, on one hand, we have been preaching the idealism and romaticism of human rights vis-a-vis freedom of speech and expression, but on the other hand, the bloggers are subject to threats of actions if they "mis-posts" ! Now, what is the definition of freedom of speech ? The freedom to write what others want to hear or read, or the freedom to offer alternative differing opinions and commentaries ? After almost 50 years of independent, do we still want to be managed like inmatured babies and incapable of formulating and accepting our own thoughts and opinions ?
Increasingly, there are many more idiots like me turning to blogs as supplements for wider perspective of certain issues. Okay, you can go around questioning my stupidity of reading non credible sources of news, but I don't mind ! I believe this idiot is intelligent and educated enough to make his own judgement of what is credible and what is not.
In anywhere of the world, a transparent, responsible, and honest government will never fall into the trap or temptation of censoring any form of expressions simply because these expressions confronted the government to do something about the perceived wrongs. A government should not resort to the moral hazards of threatening freedom of expression to enforce its credentials. However, it is honorable for the governments resorting to the same venue to disseminate appropriate information to counter misinformations. Most government that resort to the classic chauvinistic approach of threats and intended misinformation eventually failed dismally.
Recently, I viewed a video clip of an interview of a politician regarding various issues. Honestly speaking, it is indeed torturous to view the whole clip. The bottom line is, I don't know whether I am stupid or otherwise. The answering parts are so shallow and shadowed by the politician perceived incapabilities and lack of knowledges of the issues at hand. I am stupid because I actually allowed myself to be be genuinely interested in wanting to discover the intelligence of the politician, naively subjected myself to this kind of absurdity in propaganda drumming. Never. I will never again tune into any holier than thou TV channel.
I respect the rights of other to disrespect my views and opinions. In sincerity, I would also like to urge the rest to respect my stupidity no matter how smart they are. Whether they are smarter than me or not is not really the question in dispute. The question is, do we have the decency and the sincerelity to show RESPECT for others' views and opinions ?
Recognizing Enough Stupidities Perpetually Encourages Creative Thinkings ? what does it means ? you figured it out yourselves........ Without black coffee, I don't even know what I am writing using the kwailan kuai-low language.
Coincidentally, this is the 3rd day this week I am without my favorite coffee. Why ? Because, I am still having trouble trying to buy 1Kg of white sugar. It is indeed horrible to drink black coffee without sugar ! And this incoherent rantings took me 40 minutes to write without my favorite black coffee !
Om Namo Amithaba Buddha.. Oh my fat laughing Buddha, have mercy on me, please drop a few Kg of sugar on my doorsteps and enlightens my black coffee with sweetness !
By the way, uncle LKY, if you feel that this posting is too sensitive, do tell me huh... I will remove it unconditionally and offer my most sincere apology.... Kong lai kong gee, wau ng see kwai lan... Wau ng see sow chai. Wau chin chin ai kok. Wau chin chin see hor lang leh ! Beng Pek boh ?
