Malaysia Orders Media to Ignore Anti-Government Online Stories – HK Daily

Text of report by Baradan Kuppusamy in Kuala Lumpur, “Malaysia tells media to ignore online news sites”, published by Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post website on 19 March

Malaysia’s traditional media has been ordered not to mention, quote or pursue stories exposed by bloggers and online news sites, which are emerging as a powerful new media force.

A Security Ministry circular dated 13 March told top editors of a dozen mainstream newspapers and five television stations that they must not “give any consideration whatsoever” to anti-government material posted online.

Ironically the circular, issued by the ministry’s secretary- general, was first exposed by the independent online magazine Malaysiakini.com on Saturday.

An academic, who declined to be named, told the website that the circular was a “pathetic” response to numerous exposes on the internet of high-level government corruption.

The internal security ministry periodically issues circulars to keep the media in line, especially on religion, race politics and sex, subjects considered sensitive by the government.

Under the Printing Presses and Publication Act all publications must apply for a yearly publishing permit.

The permit can be issued, refused or cancelled midway at the minister’s sole discretion and the decision cannot be challenged in court.

Online practitioners were more amused than shocked by the circular.

“Bloggers are coming into their own… they are helping to check bad journalism by asking the hard questions,” said Steven Gan, Malaysiakini editor.

“They can treat us like pariahs but we are here to stay,” said Raja Petra Kamaruddin, owner of the hugely popular Malaysia-Today website.

“The action will only whet the public’s appetite and make us more popular,” Kamaruddin said.

Despite its demand that editors ignore internet reports, even the government itself has been forced to respond to online accusations, last month ordering an investigation into an anti-corruption official who was accused by an online publication of graft.

Last week Tourism Minister Tengku Adnan simply labelled bloggers liars.

“They like to spread rumours, they don’t like national unity,” he had said. He later apologized.

On Saturday, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak denied as “lies” recent online stories that his “days are numbered” because his relationship with Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi had soured.

“Don’t believe the lies,” he told his constituents in central Pahang state. “They are all cerita dongeng (myths).”

On one hand the government appears intolerant to criticism from bloggers and on the other hand it vigorously pursues a policy to get to every citizen connected with wireless broadband. It has also refused to attempt to censor the internet itself.

“Some of our politicians seem incapable of handling criticism (on the internet),” said Wong Chun Wai, editor of the mass circulation The Star daily in his weekly column.

“It’s a new world but it is still not too late for them to check out the blogosphere,” Wong said tongue in cheek.

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