Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the government has not made a “special decision” to clamp down on bloggers but advised Malaysians not to break any laws.
Referring to the police report lodged by Umno Information Chief Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib against the Malaysia Today news portal, Najib said it was up to the authorities to investigate whether any law had been contravened.
Najib may be technically right that the government has not made any such decision for a crackdown on bloggers, but clearly the Umno leadership has made such a decision which explains why the report against Malaysia Today is in the name of the Umno Information Chief, one of the top Umno leaders.
When the Umno leadership decides, who dares to say that the government has not decided?
If Umno has made a decision to crack down on the bloggers, who will believe that the government has not made a similar decision although the non-Umno Cabinet Ministers and leaders may be completely in the dark about the matter?
When a lowly officer from the Internal Security Ministry Publications Control and Al-Quran Texts Unit can unilaterally and arbitrarily issue a directive to ban media reporting of responses to Najib’s “717 Declaration” which affects only MCA and non-Umno Ministers and leaders, what further proof is needed that on the 50th Merdeka anniversary of the nation, the Barisan Nasional “power-sharing” concept is at its most attenuated form in the nation’s history!
After his report against Malaysia Today and its webmaster, Raja Petra Kamaruddin, Muhammad said: “May be they (Malaysia Today) forget that there are many sensitivities in this country. Such people want to destroy the peace in the country.”
Will the authorities be as diligent to investigate if a report is lodged that Najib had contravened the Sedition Act for his “717 declaration” that Malaysia is an Islamic state and had never been a secular state, jettisoning the Merdeka social contract which had been upheld by the first three Prime Ministers, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak and Tun Hussein and trampling on the sensitivities of Malaysians?
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Dr. Maximus Ongkili, said yesterday that the Parliamentary Select Committee on National Unity and National Service will formulate a code of ethics to stop politicians from using racial issues for political mileage. Ongkili is chairman of the committee.
Is Ongkili prepared to propose that the Code should specify examples of racial or sensitive issues which undermine national unity and multi-ethnic relations — such as the highly controversial and divisive “717 Declaration” of Najib?
This is because Najib’s declaration that Malaysia is an Islamic state driven by Islamic fundamentals and is not and had never been a secular state is not only without constitutional basis but highly sensitive as it flies in the face of the 1957 social contract and the life-works of the first three Prime Ministers, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak and Tun Hussein Onn to build a secular Malaysia with Islam as the official religion.
#1 by dawsheng on Tuesday, 24 July 2007 - 2:24 pm
The police will not. Musa Hassan is fighting for survival to stay on as IGP.
#2 by Sergei on Tuesday, 24 July 2007 - 2:35 pm
Uncle Lim,
The Edge Daily website (theedgedaily.com) 24/7/07 has reported that the government has approved the 15 year car scrapping policy. Proton is entrusted to come up with the details of the policy. They could also be some sort of end of life policy as well.
Believe it.
From Ripleys
#3 by smeagroo on Tuesday, 24 July 2007 - 3:24 pm
Yahoo!!!
Now everyone can (must) have a new car every 15 years.
#4 by pwcheng on Tuesday, 24 July 2007 - 3:32 pm
“Do what I tell you to do but do not do what I am doing”; that is the message of people who abuses its power. How long can UMNO abuse its power and how long can the people tolerate this nonsense is a huge question mark over our head. They have tasted too much power and it is high time the people has to do something about it. Going through the ballot boxes will definitely be very difficult as they will tear up the country if the opposition wins to control the government and bring the country back to square one. Is there any other alternatives to throw out all these crooks.
The opposition has to work out something intelligently fast as this is a chance not to be missed. Catch the tail while the head is sleeping.
With all these UMNO had actually shot themselves at their foot and with election being around the corner
#5 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Tuesday, 24 July 2007 - 3:49 pm
First things first. Get the independent Royal Police Commission set up.
Nothing else works otherwise.
#6 by Bobster on Tuesday, 24 July 2007 - 4:09 pm
Anyone still remember what happened to Taib in the Melbourne Airport more than a decade ago? Causing him to relinguish his UMNO post. Now, believe it or not, HE IS BACK, as an UMNO HERO! Malaysia boleh!
Suggest he report himself to ACA and write a story of What He Did Last Decade in Australia.
#7 by Bobster on Tuesday, 24 July 2007 - 4:23 pm
15 year car scrapping policy! That’s great, scrap Proton and buy imported cars. Proton life span less than 10 yrs anyway. 15 yrs?! That’s too long. Shame, shame, Proton – 10 yrs lifespan, Toyota – 30 yrs lifespan. What to do, blame on the cronies involved in spare parts.
Proton entrusted to come up with details of the policy?! Better bury your face in the ground. So desperate, no shame. Laughing stock to the whole 26 million population of this country! HAHAHAHA!
Joke of the century! :D
#8 by Taikor on Tuesday, 24 July 2007 - 4:24 pm
Kit, I feel that we must take this ex-Mentri Besar with two Muhamads in his name to justice to serve as warning to all the corrupt and gungho UMO goons and as justice for all Malaysians.
I hope the DAPs will keep raising the RM12 million cheque paid by the ex-Mentri Besar with two Muhamads in his name to the former Agong and Sultan of Selangor’s daughter as divorce settlement.
#9 by smeagroo on Tuesday, 24 July 2007 - 5:35 pm
Mohd Taib shld wirte a book and present it in UMNO and teach them how to stay a crook and avoid being capture.
#10 by Danniel on Tuesday, 24 July 2007 - 6:52 pm
Musa Hassan is too busy with his millionaire project, just like what has been shouted by his younger brother over and over again — “Who Wants To Be Millionaire” !!
#11 by burn on Tuesday, 24 July 2007 - 10:33 pm
“bobster-15 year car scrapping policy! That’s great, scrap Proton and buy imported cars. Proton life span less than 10 yrs anyway. 15 yrs?! That’s too long. Shame, shame, Proton – 10 yrs lifespan, Toyota – 30 yrs lifespan. What to do, blame on the cronies involved in spare parts.”
bapa aku masih driving proton saga. dah lebih 16 tahun. takdo problem pun. lagi lagi, kreta dia, kalau masuk dalam masih bau kebaruan. ko ni, aku rasa tak pernah bawa proton. kalau nak komen pun, pikirlah sikit… bukan semua rakyat yang mampu nak beli kreta jepon ko kreta kontinental.
aku sendiri dah memiliki 3 jenis kreta proton… proton saga dan 2 proton megavalve. takdo problem pun. lagi lagi boleh sampai pi ulang alik ke singapor dan penang dari KL. problemnya hanya satu… mutu dalamnya kurang quality, dashboard gegar selepas 3 bulan pakai. tu aje.
aku punya falsampah!
#12 by undergrad2 on Wednesday, 25 July 2007 - 1:31 am
This issue on the Islamic and un-Islamic and secular and circular has been going on for far too long. Why split hairs??
It is not like the non-Malays will have to be circumcised tomorrow and the girls made to suffer FGM. Look at it this way. If you are in fear of FGM you can apply for asylum and as an asylum seeker you can pick and choose which country you’d like to go to and you’ll get your permanent resident (PR) status without having to wait for 23 years!
Go to the U.N. or Amnesty International websites to know more.
#13 by FIA on Wednesday, 25 July 2007 - 10:40 am
“Will the authorities be as diligent to investigate if a report is lodged that Najib had contravened the Sedition Act”. First step should be to lodge that report, shouldn’t it? Otherwise it is just conjecture.
#14 by Bobster on Wednesday, 25 July 2007 - 3:56 pm
Burn,
Dulu punya Proton 70% kandungan Mishibishi parts. Sekarang, punya Proton, part buatan tempatan takpe, mahal lagi pasal crony punya hal. Masalah QC lagi. Ada kawan dulu pakai kancil upgrade ke Waja, regret sepenuhnya, kali-kali rosak mahal parts lagi. Gave up pakai Vios no problem. Satu lagi kes Gen-2 baru kat highway auto gear tukar sendiri, ya memang, smart auto-gear change when reach certain speed on highway! Scare the hell out macam ada hantu! After some time problem cannot solved so sold it off.
My ‘support’ on car scrapping policy basically illustrate gomen folly for shooting own feet, giving our tender to cronies with no QC end of the day rakyat pay the price.
Anyway, out of topic so let the buck stops here. Back to the main topic. Sorry folks!
#15 by undergrad2 on Wednesday, 25 July 2007 - 9:48 pm
This Proton saga (with a small ‘s’) draws a parallel with the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Fools rush in where angels fear to tread- where have I heard that before?
Some two decades after the first Proton rolled out of the first assembly plant as proof that our Prime Minister could do anything when he sets his mind to it, even if that goes against the grain of the economic principle of comparative advantage, Malaysian buyers have only themselves to blame for being suckers!
But Bobster and Burn, this thread is not about the Proton saga??
#16 by akarmalaysian on Friday, 24 August 2007 - 1:57 am
why doesnt he wanna clamp down the bloggers?many of these skunks are getting desperate as more truth will prevail as days go by.if they are so clean as they said they are why most of them dont hv the guts to be investigated and why dont the right people in the government hv the guts to investigate them?nut in the end they always get off fr the laws of the hand cos the law itself is so corrupted.the law will on prey the helpless and the small fries and they wud boast aloud of their achievements.as for the big suckers…sigh..needless to say…hope their “god” will punish them in hell.