Battle of the bloggers in Malaysia
Asia Sentinel – Malaysia Ponders How to Handle its Bloggers
Anyone who questions the influence bloggers can have on political, social and economic sentiments should read this article. Malaysia (where freedom of the internet has been embraced due to the government’s desire to make Malaysia an information technology hub attractive to foreign investors) has begun to back peddle on its commitment to and uncensored blogosphere.
What impresses me about this situation, however, is that in the face of intense anti-government sentiment, the ruling party has until recently hesitated to crack down through the means regularly employed by many other repressive governments, namely the Chinese Communist Party. Here in China around 50,000 “technicians” are employed in censoring all online content and dissident bloggers are regularly harassed, bullied and even thrown in jail because of their subversive online activities.
In Malaysia, on the other hand, the ruling party has tried fighting anti-government bloggers by encouraging parliamentarians to join the blogosphere themselves.
In addition to the apparent crackdown by police, others have sought to cope with the new media environment. The Barisan has reacted by calling for members of the ruling political parties to start their own blogs in an attempt to explain government actions to their constituents. Even the venerable Mahathir Mohamad, the former prime minister who gave up power in 2002, has started his own blog called Chedet, using his onetime pen name as a journalist, in which he has continued his impassioned attacks on the government of his successor, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.Some… leaders also have sought to institute media reforms. The new Information Minister… offered an olive branch to a small group of bloggers who attacked (prime minister) Abdullah Badawi… Chik has met with bloggers and started a new 20-minute segment every Sunday for bloggers on the national broadcasting station, Radio Television Malaysia, in contrast to the previous minister, Zainuddin Maidin, who locked horns with bloggers and even the government-controlled media.
I love this. Legendary political strong man Mahathir Mohamad, credited with bringing Malaysia from its status a struggling tin and palm oil producing nation of poor villagers to the level of advanced technological, global economic integration that it has achieved today, is a blogger, just like me!
By engaging bloggers, rather than imprisoning them, Malaysia’s ruling parties have shown that freedom of the internet and the political discourse that takes place online can enhance and strengthen democracy and the public’s respect for its elected officials. The recent arrest of a prominent blogger in Malaysia on sedition charges is a mistake, and represents a reverse in an otherwise progressive and enlightened policy towards political and social liberty in Malaysia.
Jason
This is a proactive approach by the Malaysian government. Rather than trying to restrict and limit the access of an endless medium, they are embracing it and making it part of the culture of the government. I find it a little unsettling that a country most likely unknown by name to many citizens of the United States and doubtfully considered to be a model example of how to run a governmental system, by the relatively infancy of this government, should be just that…an example. When the popular response by American school district is to simply block the problem and stick your head in the sand atleast someone in the world understands that you cannot ignore away the problem.
Thanks for the post.
Kyle
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