Restoring freedom of Internet and speech
By The Backpackr on Thursday, 28 of August, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Today is a sad day for Malaysia. We are currently witnessing a deterioration of our government on many fronts, and this has now extended to the freedom that we Malaysians enjoy on the Internet.
The problem - the government now selectively limits what site we are allowed to access and directs the Internet service providers (ISPs) to abide accordingly. As of the 27th of August 2008, access to a prominent and controversial blogger’s website - Raja Petra’s Malaysia-Today.net was blocked.
An initial investigation showed that the DNS servers for our national ISP ceased to point to the right location, which was puzzling as it has never happened before.
Soon after, MalaysiaKini reported the following snippet.
What does the MCMC really stand for anyway? I decided to take a peek at their manifesto, which is extracted from their website.
So… which part of “promoting access to communications and multimedia services” do I enjoy? Perhaps I should reword it to “promoting access to SELECTED communications and multimedia services”. And also, “Ensuring consumers enjoy THE GOVERNMENT’S choice and a satisfactory level of services”.
Or even better, read the MSC Malaysia Bill of Guarantees (which my company Integricity has obtained) which the government is promoting. Point number SEVEN specifically says, “Ensure no Internet censorship”. What then does this mean for us? We can endorse one thing and yet do another? Malaysia tentu boleh (Malaysia surely can).
What will be next? Blocking of freedom to Michael Backman’s website because he condemned Malaysia in his article “While Malaysia fiddles, its opportunities are running dry“? Are we afraid that Malaysians will wake up and realise, “crikey, this country is horrible!”? Too late - those who do, already DO!
Rather, should we not focus our time and energy on improving the nation, rather than wasting precious time and energy on fictitious story-telling in the press, as we have witnessed lately (which are a lot better than some fairy tales I heard as a kid)?
“Selamat pagi, Malaysia” and “sila bangun dari lena” (good morning, and please awaken) - let’s realise that blocking Internet access is not going to work.
After all, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out how to circumvent this amateur block by using the following methods as listed on Integricity’s blog.
Banning critical thinking, different ideas, books, movies, civil discussions and forums and access to websites doesn’t work in this day and age. There are so many ways to circumvent the ban. People refuse to live like the proverbial katak under the state-sanctioned tempurung anymore!
How long can the powers that be live in denial anyway? They should come up with logical arguments to dispute any view that they disagree with, and disseminate these to the public. If the arguments hold water, the public would recognise them. If they don’t make sense, the public has every right to reject them.
I echo your thoughts Cindy!
Finally (after ‘peer’ pressure)… our cabinet has ordered SKMM to reinstate Malaysia Today’s website.
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“KUALA LUMPUR: The Cabinet has ordered the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (SKMM) to reinstate access to all blocked websites including Malaysia Today, says Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor.
On Aug 28 SKMM confirmed that it had instructed ISPs to block Malaysia Today in accordance with Section 263 of the Communications and Multimedia Act.
Since then various parties have slammed the move saying the action went against national commitments spelt out under MSC Malaysia’s Bill of Guarantees.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar had said the site was blocked because it showed no respect for religion.”
The Star, 11 September 2008
[...] an article about freedom of the Internet that speaks about blocking access in this archaic country where people surely live on [...]