Stories about Malaysia
Malaysia: Racism Rears Its Ugly Head – Or Is It Just Politics?
The state government of Perak in Malaysia mulls if it should “take action” against two bloggers who purportedly insulted the Perak royalty and the sanctity of Islam through their writings recently. The (new) Menteri Besar, or Chief Minister for the state, Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, was reported to have said that...
Malaysia: A Step Closer To Internet Censorship?
The Malaysian government is looking into the feasibility of installing an Internet filter to block “undesirable websites”, along the lines of the People's Republic of China's abandoned “Green Dam” software. The reason for this new move is so that racial harmony in multicultural Malaysia is maintained, according to news site...
China: No more criticism against Green Dam!
Update: June 16 – Green Dam filter software ‘not compulsory’ – via China Daily. On June 10th, the central propaganda department issued a notice reminding all the media to report positively on Green Dam, Youth Escort, the filter and spyware to be installed in all PCs sold in China. Meanwhile,...
Malaysia: Proposal to register bloggers
Recent news reports state that Information, Communications and Culture Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim, announced that bloggers using locally hosted websites may be required to register with the authorities. According to Rais, registration was one of the measures the government was considering to prevent the spread of “negative” or “malicious content”...
Malaysia: Schizophrenic Attitude Towards New Media
News reports state that only thirteen media companies have been invited to the Perak Assembly sitting to be held on May 7, 2009. The sitting of the Malaysian state assembly of Perak is highly anticipated because of the current political climate in the state, which began when the ruling coalition, the...
Info-Rhizome: Report on Independent Media in the Chinese-speaking World
I have just announced the launching of Info-Rhizome: Report on Independent Media in the Chinese-speaking World at interlocals.net. Individual can download free copy from here. The book is consisted of reports on the development of independent media in four regions: China, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Taiwan, with special focus on...
Malaysia: The New Infomation & Communications Minister makes good with bloggers
Newly-minted Information, Communications and Culture Minister, Dr Rais Yatim, has called on Malaysian bloggers to help inculcate the “1Malaysia” concept, as espoused by new Prime Minister, Mr. Najib Razak. He has also sought cyber citizens to make the concept a success. Dr Rais was reported to have said that this genre...
Malaysia: RPK in hiding
Popular Malaysian blogger and editor of the Malaysia Today website, Raja Petra Kamarudin (RPK), failed to attend his sedition trial on April 23, 2009. As a result, the Sessions Court in Petaling Jaya issued a warrant of arrest against RPK. News reports state that Sessions Judge, Rozina Ayob, issued the order after prosecutor,...
Malaysia: Rex Judicata
Six Malaysian Netizens will be charged on 13th March 2009, according to news reports. The charges are in relation to their alleged insulting of Sultan Azlan Shah on the Internet. The six will be charged in differing states within Malaysia, two of which will take place at the Sessions Court...
Malaysia: Reporters Without Borders speaks up for Raja Petra
Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an organisation that defends press freedom worldwide, has rallied to the aid of Raja Petra Kamaruddin (RPK), Malaysia's renowned blogger. Secretary-general of RSF, Jean-François Julliard, wrote in February to Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Ibni Almarhum Sultan Mahmud Al Mukhtafi Billah Shah, the king of Malaysia, asking him to intercede...
Egypt: Bloggers for Terrorism
Egyptian bloggers are posting their own photographs, posing with fake guns and pistols, on their blogs and Facebook groups as part of a new gimmick to draw attention to the plight of detained blogger Mohamed Adel. Find out more about Operation General Mait in this article by Lasto Adri.
Malaysia: State Govt Battles Bloggers
The state government of Pahang in peninsular Malaysia has hired three bloggers to counter inaccurate or slanderous allegations and comments posted on the Internet. According to Bernama, State Information, Science, Technology and Innovation Committee chairman, Datuk Mohd Sharkar Shamsudin announced that the appointed bloggers would be paid allowances and be given...
Malaysia: Blogging Code of Ethics?
After much antagonism over blogs in Malaysia, the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar, suggested recently that bloggers form their own ethics code to ensure accountability and fairness in their writings. Syed Hamid, who opened the Bloggers Buff 2008 Conference, emphasized the importance of this because most bloggers do not have a...
Malaysia: Blogger RPK to be freed
The High Court of Shah Alam, capital of Selangor in Malaysia, ruled that the detention of popular blogger, Raja Petra Kamarudin (RPK), under the Internal Security Act 1960 (ISA) was illegal. Judge Syed Ahmad Helmy Syed Ahmad stated that the detention was unconstitutional, and that the home minister had not followed proper...
Malaysia: Home Minister admits Internet news is now mainstream
Malaysia's Home Minister, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar, was reported to have said that Internet media is no “alternative media” as more and more Malaysians were obtaining news and information from the Internet. He said this at after giving the keynote address at the Colloquium on Media Policy in Malaysia, organised by the...
Malaysia: Blogger's bail extended
Blogger kickdefella, who was arrested for seeking the public to post the Malaysian national flag upside-down, has had his bail extended to Nov 21. Kickdefella, or Syed Azidi Syed Abdul Aziz, was arrested on Sept 17 was freed three days later on police bail. He was called in by the Commercial Crimes Investigation...
Malaysia: Yet another blogger rebuked
Deputy Chief Minister, Alfred Jabu Numpang, of the Malaysian state of Sarawak, has criticised blogger, Joseph Tawie for a posting on the latter's blog. Freelance writer and blogger Tawie accused Sarawak state leaders of suppressing allegations of sexual abuse of Penan women in his blog, The Broken Shield. A blog post urged...
Malaysia: Outrage at racist blogger
Blogger “Sammy”, reported to be a 22 year old employee in a Kuala Lumpur advertising firm, was reported to have posted anti-Indian sentiments on her blog, Life is a Drama. The blogger posted her comments after she claimed her mobile phone was stolen by two alleged Indian youths when she was...
Malaysia: Bloggers seek RPK's release at PM's Eid'ul Fitri celebration
Malaysian Prime Minister, Abdullah Badawi, unwittingly had more than 50 activists at Eid’ul Fitri celebrations at the Putra World Trade Centre on October 1st. About twenty of these were bloggers, led by blogger and lawyer, Haris Ibrahim, who wanted to personally tell the Prime Minister they wanted the Internal Security Act (ISA) repealed, and that all detainees, including Raja Petra Kamaruddin (RPK), be released.
Malaysia: Blogger's habeas corpus bid thwarted
Just on the day of blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin’s habeas corpus, a detention order was issued for him to be held under s. 8(1) of the Internal Security Act (ISA). Malaysia’s Minister of Home Affairs, Syed Hamid Albar, was reported to have admitted to signing the detention order the night before the habeas corpus hearing.
