Malaysiakini Your Say | Jun 16, 11

‘We live in an age where the Recording Industry Association of Malaysia and its ilk, with their immense wealth, monopolise mainstream airwaves and distribution channels, driven by a desire to market rather than nurture creativity.’

Recording industry lauds ban on file-sharers

Nick C: As a member of the creative industry in Malaysia, I would like to state for the record that if there is any activity or organisation that has “highly destructive effects on the local music industry”, it is none other than the Recording Industry Malaysia and it’s efforts at suffocating online content.

Indeed, we now live in an age where RIM and its ilk, with their immense wealth, monopolise mainstream airwaves and distribution channels, driven by a desire to market rather than nurture creativity.

Online music sharing is how many independent Malaysian artists share their music and gain exposure, and if one has ever been to a local concert, it is very often that you hear the artists themselves ask of the audience to record what they hear and share it online, as it’s the only way they can reach out to a wider audience in an environment monopolised by greedy corporations.

To right an often-played radio public service announcement (PSA), it’s not the sharing of music that will silence music, it is RIM and its corruption of copyright.

Rais: Anonymous hackers group misread gov’t aims

Anonymous_40a7: “The Government will not impose any censorship of the Internet, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said” (The Star, Aug 8, 2009). Two years later, “Internet freedom in Malaysia has not improved since 2009, the year Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak took over the leadership reins.” (Free Malaysia Today, April 19, 2011).

Care to explain these developments, Rais Yatim? Or maybe you want to hide under the “combating cyber crimes” excuse again?

Henry: Yeah, right. What about the DDOS attacks on Malaysiakini during the Sarawak election?

Geronimo: The big question is, if it is about copyright issues, then why block Internet file sharing websites? Bootleg versions of hit movies are readily available in shops and the pasar malam. Why doesn’t Rais Yatim set his priority right by tackling this problem first, before blocking those on the Internet? Since they are so concerned about infringing copyright in cyberspace, how about porn sites?

I certainly would like to see a list of porn sites blocked by Umno, similar to those 10 file-sharing websites.

Pepper Spray: Government websites are pretty useless as they are, attacking them would be a waste of time and resources. But let’s do it for the lulls.

Docs: Rais seem to be contradicting himself. First he said that there is no Internet censorship in Malaysia. Then he said that 10 file-sharing websites have been banned. To a lay person like me, banned Internet sites or censorship of Internet websites all sound the same.

I think the hackers, too, may have thought that ban and censorship sounds the same and decided to declare cyber war on the government by hitting its websites. Looks like our information minister’s information is either not too clear or sounds unconvincing.

Wira: In cyberworld, if illegal stuff is hosted on a download site, it is incumbent of the copyright owner to inform the site to remove the bootlegged copy. I do not know any bona fide download site that will not acquiesce to such a request. If Rais follows through with his argument, very soon we’ll find him banning YouTube.

Nil: Any form of interference with the Worldwide Web that limits or hampers the people’s right of access to it is censorship. If crimes have been committed, and if there are complaints, then arrest and prosecute them in the court of law. If people have misread the government’s good intentions, then the government has misinformed.

Aku Melayu-Islam: Come on, lah, where got hacker give advance warning? Whoever they are, they’re just testing the reaction of the Malaysian government. And wow, sudah banyak panic. Kecut perut Rais, almost sounds like he’s begging, “Jangan lah attack, you salah faham, aje”. And the police are “looking” for the hackers. He, he, he, he.

Sudah jumpa, ke, orang yang upload video sex pada Internet tu? Belajar censor video sex haram dulu yang telah ditayang di hotel Carcosa Seri Negara. The police are still helpless. Buat malu, je.

Anonymous: Have they caught the acid-splashers, yet?

Kgen: This stupid Rais Yatim still has no clue that blocking web addresses is ineffective as the blocks can be easily bypassed. The file-sharing websites have a legitimate business and any piracy there is for copyright holders to deal with. It has nothing to do with this stupid government.

Artchan: Hackers, don’t waste your time. All government websites are not updated, anyway. And all contact telephones numbers are just numbers – you can never get through.

Gov’t braces for cyber-attacks

Longjaafar: If it really happens, then perhaps the powers that be will realise that we are living in a global environment, and that taking action only against local portals and individuals is futile. The bullying of bloggers and online news portals like Malaysiakini has to stop.

M’siaKiniFan: BN-Umno, this is your real face! Are you are afraid the rakyat will know the truth about your corruption and mismanagement? You deny most of the rakyat the basic right to information. We’ll see, government vs Internet.

Pandoran: Is the government going to bill the people RM500 million to avoid the planned hacking by Anonymous, like Tourism Ministry’s RM1.8m FaceBook site?

Dominic Seow: This shows the double standards of the Malaysian police. When Ibrahim Ali issued his declaration of a crusade against the Christians, the police never said they are going to investigate and get to the bottom of the issue.