When would a Malaysian woman do Malaysia proud, in the way that Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has done Indonesia proud in receiving the Best Minister Award at World Government Summit on Sunday?
Posted by Kit in Financial Scandals, women on Saturday, 17 February 2018, 9:40 am
When would a Malaysian woman do Malaysia proud, in the way that Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indfrawati has done Indonesia proud in receiving the Best Minister Award at the World Government Summit in Dubai on Sunday.
Sri Mulyani was credited with achieving “tangible results in reducing poverty, improving the standard of living, reducing public debt and boosting the transparency of public institutions” as Indonesia’s Finance Minister since 2016 under President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.
She was also recognised for her efforts to “fight corruption and increase transparency in government.” Read the rest of this entry »
Challenge to Najib to issue White Paper to enumerate the 1MDB allegations which PAC, Police, MACC and Bank Negara had cleared him!
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Financial Scandals on Thursday, 15 February 2018, 4:51 pm
It is not just AMANAH Youth Deputy Chief Faiz Faisal who is shocked by the Court of Appeal decision that it has taken judicial notice that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, had been cleared by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), police, MACC and Bank Negara with regard to allegations on the 1MDB scandal.
All right-thinking and fair-minded Malaysians are also shocked, particularly by the claim that the PAC, the Police, the MACC and Bank Negara have cleared Najib of the allegations on the 1MDB scandal.
As a Member of Parliament, I am utterly shocked by such a “judicial notice”. How can the courts give “judicial notice” to things that don’t exist? Read the rest of this entry »
MCA confident of winning big in 14GE but MCA Leadership’s Chinese New Year video unable to get the viewership of Teresa Kok’s fifth Chinese New Year video
The MCA leadership is confident of winning big in the forthcoming 14th General Election, which may be held after the Chinese New Year but definitely within the 75-day window from March to mid-May.
Whether the MCA will win big in 14GE will be known on Polling Day, but what is immediately known is that the MCA leadership’s Chinese New Year video featuring the MCA President, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, Deputy President Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong and MCA Secretary-General Datuk Ong Ka Chuan – all three Cabinet Ministers – as well as the entire MCA national leadership is unable to garner the viewership of DAP Deputy Secretary-General and MP for Seputeh Teresa Kok’s fifth annual Chinese New Year video. Read the rest of this entry »
Opening of the Malaysian mind that regardless of race, religion or region we are all Malaysians guided by the motto “United We Stand, Divided We Fall”
It was another Chinese New Year in February ten years ago which paved the way for a political tsunami in urban Malaysia, which caught most Malaysians by surprise.
I recall that in my 2008 Chinese New Year Message, I urged Malaysian Chinese together with all Malaysians to usher in political change to remedy our failure to be a world-class nation, whether in terms of parliamentary democracy, rule of law, educational excellence, international competitiveness, efficient and incorruptible public service, low crime, quality of life, and to end the shameful situation where other countries like Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea overtake us in progress and development, with Malaysia in peril of being left behind by others like Thailand, Vietnam and even Indonesia.
In 2008, very few believed that denial of two-thirds parliamentary majority to UMNO/BN rule was a realistic or achievable target – but in the 2008 and 2013 General Elections, UMNO/BN lost their “unloseable” two-thirds parliamentary majority while losing state governments in five states, viz Penang, Perak, Selangor, Kedah and Kelantan in 2008. Read the rest of this entry »
Najib caught on the horns of a dilemma – to call for 14GE before or after the proposed unprecedented opening of the sixth session of the 13th Parliament by Yang di Pertuan Agong on March 5
Posted by Kit in Election, Elections, MCA, Najib Razak on Wednesday, 14 February 2018, 10:35 am
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak is caught on the horns of a dilemma – whether to call for the 14th General Election before or after the proposed unprecedented opening of the sixth session of the 13th Parliament by the Yang di Pertuan Agong on March 5.
UMNO/BN leaders are getting increasingly panicky at the growing possibility that they may be ousted from Putrajaya, effecting the first change of Federal Government in the nation’s 61year-history.
It is not only UMNO/BN leaders who are guessing as to when Parliament will be dissolved for the 14th General Election to be held, I believe Najib himself does not know and is daily agonizing over the decision.
Although Najib is projecting a confident self, even claiming that UMNO/BN can regain two-thirds parliamentary majority in the 14GE, he is daily agonizing over the question as to when he should dissolve Parliament for the 14th General Election, although the window for the 14GE has been narrowed to 75 days from March to mid-May.
Should Najib dissolve Parliament before the unprecedented opening of the sixth session of the 13th Parliament by the Yang di Pertuan Agong on 5th March for a 20-sitting parliamentary meeting till April 5? Read the rest of this entry »
How pitiable and pathetic – MCA leaders appealing to the Chinese community for SOS against a fictitious DAP plot to “destroy” MCA
How pitiable and pathetic – MCA leaders appealing to the Chinese community for SOS against a fictitious DAP plot to “destroy” MCA.
This is a most desperate move of the MCA leadership to beg for Chinese support as their attempt to appeal for Chinese votes for the forthcoming 14th General Elections.
I was surprised to read the headline of the exclusive interview of the MCA Deputy President, Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong in the front-page Sin Chew Daily today: “Wee Ka Siong: Beg Chinese community not to let MCA be destroyed”.
It has never been the intention of the DAP since our formation in 1966 to “destroy” the MCA, just as it is not our intention to destroy UMNO, Gerakan, MIC or any other political party, but to challenge these parties to better represent the best citizenship interests of Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region.
If Kuomintang of Taiwan, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Japan and the Indian National Congress can make a political comeback in their respective countries after being ousted from their governmental positions, why can’t MCA or UMNO for that matter do the same after they are defeated in the forthcoming general election? Read the rest of this entry »
Call on Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan leadership to make a commitment to conduct fair, clean and honest politics, including not peddling fake news or disrupting activities of opposing political parties
I find the explanation of the UMNO/BN MP for Johor Baru, Tan Sri Shahrir Samad to the latest blackmark to Malaysian democracy, the disruption of the visit of Pakatan Harapan leaders to Kampong Bakar Batu in Johor Baru on Saturday night, to be most lame, pathetic and disappointing.
Is “kampong customs” all that Shahrir can say to defend the rude and thuggish behavior of UMNO members who disrupted the Pakatan Harapan programme, which involved the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) Johor Secretary and former three-term Johore State Assemblyman for Kempas, Datuk Osman Sapian, the PKR Johor Information Chief, Akmal Nasir, AMANAH Johore Baru deputy chairman Muadz Jamaluddin, two DAP Johore State Assemblyman namely Andrew Chen Kah Eng (Stulang) and Cheo Yee How (Pengkalan Rinting) and myself?
Can Shahrir explain what are these “kampong customs” which justify rude and thuggish behavior against the peaceful and democratic political visit of Pakatan Harapan leaders?
What is even shocking is the fake news that was immediately manufactured and peddled on Whatsapp yesterday by UMNO cybertroopers who accused Andrew Chen of attacking the Kampong Bakar Batu Malays as “sangat biadap dan kurang ajar” for the incident, when Andrew Chen had never said such things.
I call on both the Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan leaderships to make a commitment to conduct fair, clean and honest politics, including not peddling fake news or disrupting activities of opposing political parties. Read the rest of this entry »
Will Malaysia join the ranks of South Korea, Taiwan, Bangladesh and Pakistan whose leaders are jailed for corruption after they have fallen from power?
Posted by Kit in Corruption, nation building on Monday, 12 February 2018, 10:26 am
Last Wednesday’s conviction and 30-month jail sentence passed on PKR Vice President and MP for Pandan, Rafizi Ramli and former Public Bank clerk Johari Mohamad have brought back to the national limelight one of the host of financial scandals in Malaysia which the authorities had hoped had been successfully been swept under the carpet – the RM250 million National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) cow-and-condo scandal.
As a result, the RM250 million NFC cow-and-condo scandal, together with Rafizi’s conviction and jail sentence, will take their rightful place together with other financial scandals, like the world-trotting 1MDB financial scandal, the MARA, FELDA, Tabung Haji and other financial scandals, in the forefront of issues in the forthcoming 14th General Election to be held within the next 90 days. Read the rest of this entry »
Shahrir should state his stand on the disruption of the Pakatan Harapan programme in Kg Bakar Batu in Johor Baru last night
Posted by Kit in democracy, Johor Bahru, Najib Razak, nation building on Sunday, 11 February 2018, 8:18 am
It is most regrettable that a Pakatan Harapan programme in Kampong Bakar Batu in the Johor Baru parliamentary constituency last night for the DAP State Assemblyman for Stulang, Andrew Chen Kah Eng, the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) Johor Secretary and former three-term Assemblyman for Kempas, Datuk Osman Sapian, and the PKR Johor Information Chief, Akmal Nasir, AMANAH Johore Baru deputy chairman Muadz Jamaluddin and myself to meet and dialogue with the people in the area had been disrupted and cancelled.
If this had happened 50 and 60 years ago, it would not have been surprising.
But for such a regrettable event to happen 61 years after the achievement of Merdeka in 1957 and thirteen General Elections had been held in Malaysia shows that to some people in the country, the spirit and commitment to parliamentary democracy is very skin deep. Read the rest of this entry »
A Pakatan Harapan victory in the 14th General Election will open wide the mystery of the 1MDB scandal which Najib had been trying his utmost to dismiss as non-existent and a fake news
Posted by Kit in Financial Scandals, Najib Razak on Saturday, 10 February 2018, 3:45 pm
The Pakatan Harapan victory in the 14th General Election expected to be held in 90 days will launch Malaysia into new waters, one of which will be to open wide the mystery of the 1MDB scandal which the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak had trying his utmost as the top government leader to dismiss as non-existent and a fake news.
Many countries in the world have been investigating the 1MDB scandal and several people implicated in the international multi-billion dollar 1MDB money-laundering scandal had been convicted and even jailed as in Singapore; several banks and finance companies including quite prestigious and long-standing financial institutions had been closed down or heavily fined as in Singapore and Switzerland; and worst of all, the largest kleptocratic forfeiture litigation amounting to nearly US$2 billion had been launched by the United States Department of Justice (DoJ), described as the “world’s worst kleptocracy” by the United States Attorney-General Jeff Sessions, resulting in Malaysia pelted with the ignominy and infamy of being regarded worldwide as a global kleptocracy. Read the rest of this entry »
Najib has not yet called general elections because he is not confident UMNO/BN will be re-elected despite the mountain of fake news and false information UMNO/BN had spread about Pakatan Harapan
Posted by Kit in Election, Elections, MCA, Najib Razak on Saturday, 10 February 2018, 7:25 am
Despite the outward show of confidence, the fact is that the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has not yet called general elections because he is not confident that UMNO/Barisan Nasional will be re-elected as the Federal Government despite the mountain of fake news and false information which UMNO/BN had spread about Pakatan Harapan.
The stakes for Najib are unbearably high, for if he loses the general election, he will not only lose the Prime Ministership, the international multi-billion dollar 1MDB kleptocratic money-laundering scandal which had been swept under the carpet will be exposed to intense national and international scrutiny, with all the attendant consequences.
Today Najib has come to northern Johore, for he knows that Johor, which had been a fixed deposit state for the ruling coalition over half a century until the 13th General Election, will be a critical state to determine whether he could be returned to Putrajaya as Prime Minister in the next general election.
If Najib had called for national election after the Sarawak state general election in April 2016, or after the two Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar parliamentary by-elections in June 2016, or even last year, the chances of Najib winning the 14th General Election would have been quite high
But Najib has missed the opportunity in his procrastination in calling for general elections in 2016 or 2017.
Najib is hoping that the gerrymandering from the redelineation of electoral constituencies would provide him with a sure formula for UMNO/BN to be returned to Putrajaya, even with a two-thirds parliamentary majority which UMNO/BN had lost in the last two general elections in 2008 and 2013.
But if there is a political tsunami, not only in the urban areas but also in the rural and Felda areas, then the redelineation of constituencies is not going to save Najib.
Najib is presenting a very bold front of being very optimistic about the next general elections, to camouflage the quaking he is feeling about the uncertain prospects for him and UMNO/BN in the next general election.
In Muar today, Najib talked about the need for a party that was strong on its own and not relying on parties that depended on other parties.
Was Najib referring to the other Barisan Nasional component parties, like MCA, MIC ad Gerakan?
In the Pakatan Harapan, all the four component parties of DAP, PKR, AMANAH and PPBM have their own respective strengths, and it is from the unity and solidarity of the four parties in Pakatan Harapan that we hope to create history by evicting the UMNO/BN coalition from Putrajaya for the first time in 61 years in Malaysia.
It is very different however from the other Barisan Nasional component parties.
For instance, all the three most important leaders of MCA depend on UMNO’s votes to get elected as MP and then to become a Minister, raising the question whether MCA is representing the Chinese in Barisan Nasional or whether they are representing UMNO to the Malaysian Chinese?
In Bentong, the parliamentary constituency of the MCA President and Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, the single biggest ethnic bloc of voters are the 46.1% Malay voters, as Chinese voters represent 42.4%, Indians 9.0% and Others 2.5%.
In Ayer Hitam, the parliamentary constituency of MCA Deputy President and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong, the largest ethnic group of voters are the 57.6% Malay voters, with the Chinese 38.3%; Indians 3.9% and Others 0.2%.
In Tanjong Malim, the parliamentary constituency of the MCA Secretary-General and Second Minister for Trade and Industry, Datuk Ong Ka Chuan, the largest ethnic group of voters are again the Malays 55.4% with Chinese 25.8%, Indians 13.2% and Orang Asli 5.6%.
In fact, in Malay voters represent the largest ethnic group in
six of the seven parliamentary constituencies won by MCA in the 13th General Election.
As MCA fits the bill of Najib’s attack in Muar, can the Prime Minister explain why he is assaulting the MCA?
In his speech in Muar, Najib called for the people to support UNNO/BN to support a progressive Malaysia.
Ifi Najib is genuine in wanting a progressive Malaysia, then let him do two things immediately:
(i) Ensure that PKR Vice President and MP for Pandan Rafizi Ramli is not jailed or disqualified as a Member of Parliament for doing a national service for exposing the RM250 million National Feedlot Corportion (NFC) scandal; and
(ii) Cleanse Malaysia of the international obloquy of being a global kleptocracy in the past three years, and clean up the Augean stable of corruption affecting Felda, MARA, Tabung Haji and other government outfits.
Najib has achieved what five former Prime Ministers in more than half a century had failed to do – made the stratospheric ascent to become known as a global kleptocracy, with all the infamy and ignominy of the appellation.
This is very sad, as yesterday was the birthday anniversary of Bapa Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman who, like Datuk Onn, Tun Razak, Tun Hussein, Tun Mahathir and I believe Tun Abdullah, would never have conceived that Malaysia would suffer the shame and humiliation of being regarded worldwide as a global kleptocracy.
Furthermore, never before in Malaysian history have so many people’s representatives whether Members of Parliament or State Assembly members been harassed and hounded, including being selectively prosecuted in the courts under the variety of repressive and undemocratic laws to take away their liberties as well as to remove them from the legislative chambers in the land.
Even 93-year-old Tun Siti Hasmah, wife of former premier Tun Mahathir, was not spared.
I fully agree with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim that the sentencing of Rafizi Ramli to 30 months’ jail for blowing the whistle on the NFC scandal shows the country needs to change its leadership, as the present nation-building trajectory can only lead to a regressive, repressive, a failed and rogue state and not a progressive, prosperous and united Malaysia.
(Speech at the DAP kopitiam ceramah in Gelang Patah on Friday, February 2018 at 8 pm)
If Najib is genuine in wanting a progressive Malaysia, then he should do two things immediately: ensure Rafizi does not go to jail or disqualified as MP for doing a national service in exposing the RM250 million NFC scandal and cleanse Malaysia of international obloquy of a global kleptocracy
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Financial Scandals, Najib Razak on Friday, 9 February 2018, 3:40 pm
If the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak is genuine in wanting a progressive Malaysia, then let him do two things immediately:
(i) Ensure that PKR Vice President and MP for Pandan Rafizi Ramli is not jailed or disqualified as a Member of Parliament for doing a national service for exposing the RM250 million National Feedlot Corportion (NFC) scandal; and
(ii) Cleanse Malaysia of the international obloquy of being a global kleptocracy in the past three years, and clean up the Augean stable of corruption affecting Felda, MARA, Tabung Haji and other government outfits.
In his pre-election visit to northern Johore today, Najib
reminded the people, particularly Felda settlers, to always embrace the BN and Umno struggle to ensure that the country remained progressive.
My first reaction was whether Najib was joking, as under Najib Malaysia had gone backwards and become very regressive, whether political, economic, educational, social or nation-building, and not moved forward to become more progressive, open-minded and accountable.
This is why the international multi-billion dollar 1MDB money-laundering scandal has become “fake news” to Putrajaya and swept under the humongous “carpet” in Malaysia.
Najib has achieved what five former Prime Ministers in more than half a century had failed to do – made the stratospheric ascent to become known as a global kleptocracy, with all the infamy and ignominy of the appellation.
This is very sad, as yesterday as the birthday anniversary of Bapa Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman who, like Datuk Onn, Tun Razak, Tun Hussein, Tun Mahathir and I believe Tun Abdullah, would never have conceived that Malaysia would suffer the shame and humiliation of being regarded worldwide as a global kleptocracy.
Furthermore, never before in Malaysian history have so many people’s representatives whether Members of Parliament or State Assembly members been harassed and hounded, including being selectively prosecuted in the courts under the variety of repressive and undemocratic laws to take away their liberties as well as to remove them from the legislative chambers in the land.
Even 93-year-old Tun Siti Hasmah, wife of former premier Tun Mahathir, was not spared.
I fully agree with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim that the sentencing of Rafizi Ramli to 30 months’ jail for blowing the whistle on the NFC scandal shows the country needs to change its leadership, as the present nation-building trajectory can only lead to a regressive, failed and rogue state and not a progressive, prosperous and united Malaysia.
(Media Statement in Gelang Patah on Friday, 9th February 2018)
Najib and Hadi have formed an UMNO-PAS unholy alliance to induct Malaysia into the world of fake news and “post-truths”
The surreal world of “fake news” and “post-truths” have finally come to Malaysia, with the PAS President, Datuk Seri Hadi Awang showing his hand.
Hadi’s propaganda offensive in the past few days, echoing Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s baseless attacks on the DAP as anti-Malay, anti-Islam, the dominant power in Pakatan Harapan with all other leaders, whether Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail or Mohamad Sabu as mere DAP puppets and stooges, marks an UMNO-PAS unholy alliance to induct Malaysia into the world of fake news and “post-truth”.
Undoubtedly, the Najib-Hadi duo would have top any “Fake News Award” in Malaysia. Read the rest of this entry »
Will Hadi next say that Nik Aziz had endorsed Hadi’s support for “MO1” and Malaysia becoming a “global kleptocracy”?
PAS President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang claims that the former PAS Mursyidul Am, the late Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, had noticed before his passing that there were “problems” with DAP.
Hadi has joined the ranks of those who manufacture lies, fake news and false information when he claimed that the DAP had become arrogant because it had won more seats in 2013, “always fanning racial sentiments” which “led to racial tensions”.
Like UMNO/BN propagandists and cybertroopers, Hadi would not be able to cite a single instance to substantiate his lies, fake news and false information.
He has even swallowed hook, line and sinker the UMNO/BN propaganda that DAP was pulling Pakatan Harapan chairman Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad’s strings.
Will Hadi next say that Nik Aziz had endorsed Hadi’s support for “MO1” and Malaysia becoming a “global kleptocracy? Read the rest of this entry »
The abortive five-year conspiracy to ban DAP as a legal party is the biggest UMNO/BN Fake News plot in recent years trying to turn lies into “post-truth” and why Malaysians must beware of the Azalina Fake Committee on Fake News
The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Azalina Othman , has finally brought out “national security” as reason for her Fake Committee on Fake News which comprise representatives from the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the Police and the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia.
To Azalina, “national security” could cover a multitude of sins.
However, Azalina is unable to answer the simple question as to what “national security” she is talking about when the government authorities, whether the AG’s Chambers, Police and the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia had been collectively negligent and impotent in being unable to tackle the mountain of lies, fake news and false information churned out by a multi-million ringgit UMNO/Barisan Nasional cybertrooper operation against the DAP and Pakatan Harapan.
Can Azalina explain what “national security” she is talking about with reference to the fake news by UMNO/BN cybertroopers that DAP is anti-Malay, anti-Islam, wants a Christian Malaysia, had a budget of RM100 million to RNM1 billion to fund a Red Bean Army (RBA) of 3,000 cybertroopers operating out of Concorde Hotel, Kuala Lumpur to attack and defame UMNO/BN – with the latest recent fake news that I was in a coma in a Singapore hospital waiting for my end? Read the rest of this entry »
Can the Azalina Committee on Fake News ascertain whether allegations that DAP had spent RM100 million to RM1 billion before last general elections to maintain a 3,000-strong cybertrooper Red Bean Army was fake news or not?
The Azalina Committee on Fake News should find out what were the millions or even tens of millions of ringgit which UMNO and Barisan Nasional had spent on cybertroopers to manufacture and disseminate fake news in the country in the past five years.
An indication of the sums of monies expended by UMNO and Barisan Nasional on cybertroopers could be gleaned from the allegations made by UMNO/BN propagandists about the money the DAP spent on cybertroopers, particularly on the fictitious “Red Bean Army”.
Immediately after the last general elections five years ago, UMNO/BN propagandists went to town to allege the DAP funded a fictitious “Red Bean Army” (RBA) of 3,000 cybertroopers with a budget of RM100 million to RM1 billion in the previous six years to attack the UMNO/BN authorities and to defame UMNO/BN leaders over a whole variety of issues.
They even alleged that the RBA had two operational centres, one in Hotel Concorde in Kuala Lumpur and the other based in Komtar in Penang.
I recalled that when the UMNO/BN propagandists stepped up their barrage of lies, fake news and false information about the DAP-funded RBA, I led a team of DAP MPs accompanied by journalists to make a surprise visit to Concorde Hotel on the night of July 4, 2014. Read the rest of this entry »
The five-year RoS ordeal is only one of three trials and tribulations devised by UMNO/BN strategists to break the spirit and struggle of DAP and Malaysians for a just, democratic and united Malaysia
I want to thank Malaysians for their concern, well wishes and prayers for my operation and recuperation.
The battle for an united, just and democratic Malaysia that can be a showcase to the world of the political, socio-economic, educational and nation-building success of a multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-cultural nation must continue whatever the odds and vicissitudes.
Tonight we have another reason for celebration. For five years, the UMNO/Barisan Nasional government had tried to carry out the “death sentence” for the DAP, falsely claiming that the DAP had in December 2012 undemocratically and illegally elected its Central Executive Committee.
There was even a time when it would appear that the DAP could not use the DAP symbol, the Rocket, in the 13th General Election in May 2013, when we had used the Rocket symbol for nearly five decades through ten general elections.
The five–year ordeal that the DAP suffered because of UMNO/BN machinations to kill the DAP should never have happened in a country which practices good governance and upholds the rule of law.
Where in the world does the Registrar of Societies inform a political party that its national party elections over four years ago was illegal and forced it to hold fresh party elections? Read the rest of this entry »
What is the use of setting up the Azalina Fake Committee on Fake News when for over five years, the AG’s Chambers, the Police and Ministry of Communication and Multimedia had been collectively negligent and impotent to tackle the mountain of lies, fake news and false information churned out by UMNO/BN-funded cybertroopers?
A fortnight ago, the Director of Australian National University (ANU) Malaysia Institute, Ross Tapsell, said that Barisan Nasional is now winning the social media war, as it has improved its social media presence since Election 2013 and now has a stronger presence online compared to the opposition.
Tapsell said that BN had recognised its shortcomings in previous elections and has since effectively mobilised its resources to take on the opposition in cyberspace.
He said: “They have a far stronger presence on social media and on digital media in general in a variety of ways. There are far more pro-government blogs, websites, social media messaging in short there is a clear increase of volume compared to the 2013 elections.
“They know what they are doing this time around, they recognise the importance of new media and are engaged in a big way. Even the Prime Minister Najib has public said they had ‘lost’ the social media front in 2008 and 2013.”
Tapsell said: “The social media content coming out of the opposition camp is not as fiery as it used to be and is not gaining traction as compared to what is being put out by the government,” he said. Read the rest of this entry »
We are living in the era of fakeries – fake news, fake committee on fake news, fake news analysis, fake elections, fake patriotism and even fake oaths
This is the era of fake news, fake news analysis, fake committee on fake news, fake elections, fake patriotism and even fake oaths.
With the approach of the 14th General Election in a hundred days, Malaysia is awash with fake news, defined as a type of yellow journalism or propaganda that consists of lies, deliberate misinformation or hoaxes spread via traditional print and broadcast news media or online social media designed to incite hatred and poison the minds of the people.
There is now a proposal for a Fake Committee on Fake News headed by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Azalina Othman with representatives from the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the Police and the Ministry of Multimedia and Communications. Read the rest of this entry »
Replace the Azalina Committee on Fake News with a bipartisan committee on fake news to draft laws and mechanism to tackle fake news without giving more powers to authorities to harass and persecute dissent which is no different from “using democracy to destroy democracy”
The statement by Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi that the creators and propagators of fake news will be punished for the wrongdoings is a new fable in the stable of UMNO/Barisan Nasional political propaganda with no credibility whatsoever.
This is why human rights groups and NGOs in Malaysia fear that free speech would be curtailed by the proposed legislation to curb fake news.
What is the answer of the Azalina Committee on Fake News to consider legislation and mechanism to tackle fake news to the human rights concerns by human rights organisations like Suara Rakyat Malaysia, Article 19 and Lawyers for Liberty? Read the rest of this entry »
