Friday, October 22, 2010

Bloggers For Malaysia

Okay, here's the deal. There are some SoPo bloggers who have a nose for scoops. They are sniffers. Their exposes have helped to democratise and level the field of information dissemination.

Most of the stuff is raw. And, that's why we love it.

There are other SoPo bloggers (like me) who are plodders. We like to scratch our private parts and take our time to stare at scenery. And, when we do write, it is often prolix and painful to read.

But, being bloggers, we are collectively seen as an alternative medium to the conventional media.

I was pretty gobsmacked when I heard from Syed OutSyedTheBox that Rais was on the warpath against Rocky, Big Dog and Taikors & Taikuns for having the temerity to raise questions about his Ministry.

The first thought was, naturally, that I thought these bloggers were UMNO-BN-leaning types. Weren't they on the same side?

Upon reflection, these bloggers do have the "bad habit" of regularly questioning matters of poor governance in UMNO, BN and the Government.

How's that different from my blogging? Not much, actually. It's only a matter of the "hardness" of the bite (I wanted to say "degree of acerbity of vitriol". But, that would have put you to sleep).

So, my blogger buddies are being put through the wringer by Rais.

Rais has said that as a citizen, he has the right to lodge a police report against a perceived wrong against him.

That is true. All citizens have that right.

But, this is where Rais gets it wrong. Unlike us mere mortals Rais is a currently serving Federal Minister. Rais is a significant UMNO leader. Rais is part of the BN government. Rais is a politician. Rais has the power of the government.

That power has been used against Rocky and Big Dog.

Just by having the MCMC require these hapless bloggers to attend at the MCMC offices in Putrajaya already causes great distress. Having Rocky's "tool of trade", his beloved Ferrari, seized is equally distressing.

Over and above that, there is the threat of a charge to be framed against them. This will be costly at a personal and financial level.

Being in possession of a Ph.D in Law, Rais may recall the legal expression nemo judex in re causa sua which roughly translates into "a man may not be the judge of his own cause".

The MCMC being in his Ministry, Rais should have actively instructed the MCMC to refrain from investigating his own complaint.

He should have let the Police conduct the investigation.

But, if I were ever asked for any advice by Rais, his Ministry, the MCMC, UMNO or, BN (not that it will ever happen) on whether or not to lodge a complaint on the impugned blog postings, my reply would be the negative of the Nike tagline.

I would have said, "Just DON'T do it".

And, so, I will record here that I intend to register this blog as a willing participant in Bloggers for Malaysia.

6 comments:

walla said...

People tend to mix up acronyms these days. Instead of getting the MACC to investigate, they may mistakenly use the MCMC. Why not amicably pow-wow it over spicy burgers at the nearest KFC?

And there's the matter of perception about the response. If the corralling was because of (cough), then the rakyat will think it strange that the person in charge of the function affected by that (cough) shows no curiosity about the (cough) for if he were curious, it would have been the MACC which would have been expeditiously called to provide independent investigation.

Instead, by getting the MCMC, a subset of the function, to spearhead the response, it would look more like a deflection, what more a clampdown. So that even if the (cough) be not true, no one will believe it after that. Surely, that can't be the intended result.

In addition, that type of action would seem to say there exists a mindset in certain quarters which says that anything official must be deemed correct without the need for independent investigation.

In which case, why was the MACC formed?

In fact, flustery bluster was a technique left behind after the Cold War ended. It doesn't work anymore these days of poorly-garbed but high-IQ bloggers who are more likely to go around in their modest vehicles than be chauffeured in an S-series.

Now, Rocky and BigDog are pioneers of the local blogsphere. Although one has an alternative hairstyle and the other is well, big, both are in fact thoughtful concerned citizens with considerable writing clout. You can guess as much looking at their sad eyes and reading their semi-shy body language. They certainly don't look the aggressive types who gloat to pain others by spontaneous combustion of the worldwide web.

Good bloggers are not plotters or plodders. They are prodders. They prod so that truth comes forth like light shining into dark places where deeds are done to the detriment of denizens.

So, how about it? Let bloggers write. If officials disagree with what they have written, invite them to inspect the documents or trail or get official clarification. Statistically, it is impossible for twenty six million to turn up at the door. In this day and age, only a minor handful will hazard the blizzard of officialdom.

walla said...

2/2

In addition, if there is sensitive material, seek their pre-acceptance that some things can't be disclosed, and in return they could either explain further the context of what they had written after viewing them, or issue a retraction in the same site if such be the case, or reinforce with good reasons how such a matter could have been so misconstrued or perhaps under-reported.

Unless what they have written was true all along.

In a world where truth is what finally balances out things and gives the rakyat a means to help a government which doesn't know best to become better the next day, shouldn't the processes for truth, one of which elements being socially intelligent networked discussions, be championed even more vigorously? After all, if Malaysia is the world’s foremost facebooked nation, one would think it odd that being wired but not having open access to critical content would imply we are just a nation of empty chatterboxes.

In fact, if our national thrust is to be high-income, high-value, high-tower and high-climax, how will we feel as a nation then if investors come, look and then call home to say, 'Honey, there's no life here' when they can only find a cowering blogsphere presence in this country, after being disappointed by not a single well-stocked bookshop at every other corner?

Lastly, not many will disagree people don't normally like to draw attention to their dermatology unless they are in the acme of frustration. And people also don't write openly knowing full well what they write may invite heavy response whose justification hasn't yet historically been proven to be of equal intelligent intensity, in these parts anyway.

In fact, if officialdom can be lax with inflammatory words uttered behind closed doors such as in classrooms or at political propaganda platforms but martial on words written to prod investigation that go to the real heart of national security and peace these days, namely corruption, then one wonders whose side of good governance elected governments are for. The side of own egos, perhaps?

Government is servant, rakyat are masters. Government is to serve without fault the rakyat who are their only customers. Government must do right all the time. During such times when external threats are limited, the only threat to national security and peace is internal. Corruption diminishes the potential to buy more resources in the future that will bolster national security and peace.

de minimis said...

Bro walla

You seem to be having a throat infection. Take some Linctus and Strepsils. :D

de minimis said...

Bro walla

You seem to be having a throat infection. Take some Linctus and Strepsils. :D

mekyam said...

hello plodder & prodder! ;D

i just love walla's (i paraphrase) "good bloggers are prodders, not plotters". it is so begging to be quoted that i hope he doesn't mind me plonking it as a facebook status right after this.

from what i've seen, there's no shortage of good prodders in the msian blog-scenario. only they face rather formidable challenge with the creatures they have to prod. i'm referring of course to the gits at the helm who not only seem to be thick-headed but have hides dinosaurs would envy.

and evidently, some also have the dinos' pea-sized brains, wired only with the meanest of self-preservation instincts.

walla said...

Mekyam!

I would write anything just to get your presence on blog and i shall challenge anyone who dares to disagree with me for saying you must surely be the most soul-loveliest lady we all have the greatest misfortune not to have met.

Have a great weekend!

;)