Y.B. Dato’ Ahmad Shabery Cheek
Wisma TV, Angkasapuri,
50610 Kuala Lumpur.
30 March 2008
Y.B. Dato’,
Re: Media Blackout and failure to report important news on time versus BLOGS
Congratulations Y.B. Dato’ for your recent appointment as our Minister of Information. The post is very demanding. Nobody remembers when you are doing your job well and everyone remembers when you mess up.
I doubt any minister would envy your position, which brings a heavy historical burden of your predecessor. I as many other Malaysians blame the loss partly on his failure to keep abreast with the current technology, the failure to counter attack on some important issues in the media and aligning himself with pre-PRU12 common misconception among BN politicians (Azalina, Nazri, Rais even the PM) that bloggers are a bunch of misfits, liars and scums that feeds on peoples fear and hate.
Post-PRU12 cleared the last misconception at a heavy price to BN (one opposition blogger even won a Penang Parliamentary seat). The public/voters in general, refused to accept the candy-coated and one way reporting of our printed newspaper and relied heavily on cyber information (blogs, websites, newsgroups and You tube).
Blogs in particular proved to be one of the most effective methods of public information. Blogs are always faster in disseminating news (we knew Penang, Selangor, Shahrizat, Samy Vellu fate long before the confirmation news on TV), and most of all, IDENTIFIABLE people who works with almost no pay. We see concern citizens, retired civil servants, former reporters and even one grandmother blogging with ONLY the fervent hope of a fair, fast and non-candy coated news.
Recently, a few bloggers managed to PROVE the existence of a media blackout not at the time of your predecessor (that was easy) BUT during your watch as Minister of Information. The local dailies DID NOT report the outcome of the PM’s AFTERNOON visit to the Yang diPertuan Agong (on the 26th March) until the 28th March, a gap of more than 36 hours. Even the on-line news (Bernama and NST) failed to report on the outcome till night 27th March, a gap of more than 24 hours. Blogs however have been excellent in giving CORRECT information quickly to the masses. Rocky’s bru for example have been giving updates from 4.15pm on 26th March of the meeting and a CONFIRMED outcome by the 27th March in the afternoon. In an era of fast cars and even faster transfer of information, our print media have failed miserably in their job. I suspect (so do most bloggers and their readers) that the media reporters ARE NOT GIVEN THE PERMISSION TO PUBLISH THEIR STORY BY SOMEONE WITH AUTHORITY HIGH UP IN THE GOVERNMENT. This kind of lapse will give legitimacy to the masses suspicions of puppet masters, conspiracy theories, and the infamous 4th floor string pulling and spin doctoring. I have no reason to believe that an early release of the information is a threat to our country or cause riots; in fact the contrary is true. The suppression will cause uneasiness among the population.
Edmund Burke once said, ‘All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing’. I hope Y.B. Dato’ that you are doing SOMETHING. As a Muslim, I have the right to remind myself and others that Allah is on the side of right no matter how oppressed and Muslims must protect the innocents, including bloggers that fight tyranny in the face with a keyboard and an RM77 internet subscription. There are lies too concocted and spread by bad bloggers that makes the rest of us look bad, this is true also of politicians. There are politicians whom are convicted of corruption, womanizing and even murder BUT that does not make true of the others. I pray you do the right thing no matter what and do it quickly. There is an on-line movement currently initiated by bloggers to boycott our national papers for their inefficiency, biasness, lies and threats towards innocent bloggers (a few bloggers like Rocky, Jeff Ooi are currently being sued for defamation by NSTP).
Your colleague, Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob (Minister of Youth and Sports) said on 23rd March 2008 during a celebration in a Rakan Muda Complex, ‘…If we continue to rubbish the blogs, I am worried that it will one day take over the role of the mainstream newspapers...’
If you do not do something to arrest this problem, I fear that his prediction would one day come true right before your very eyes.
Your Sincerely,
Reza Zainal
http://rezazainalmeanderings.blogspot.com/
Wisma TV, Angkasapuri,
50610 Kuala Lumpur.
30 March 2008
Y.B. Dato’,
Re: Media Blackout and failure to report important news on time versus BLOGS
Congratulations Y.B. Dato’ for your recent appointment as our Minister of Information. The post is very demanding. Nobody remembers when you are doing your job well and everyone remembers when you mess up.
I doubt any minister would envy your position, which brings a heavy historical burden of your predecessor. I as many other Malaysians blame the loss partly on his failure to keep abreast with the current technology, the failure to counter attack on some important issues in the media and aligning himself with pre-PRU12 common misconception among BN politicians (Azalina, Nazri, Rais even the PM) that bloggers are a bunch of misfits, liars and scums that feeds on peoples fear and hate.
Post-PRU12 cleared the last misconception at a heavy price to BN (one opposition blogger even won a Penang Parliamentary seat). The public/voters in general, refused to accept the candy-coated and one way reporting of our printed newspaper and relied heavily on cyber information (blogs, websites, newsgroups and You tube).
Blogs in particular proved to be one of the most effective methods of public information. Blogs are always faster in disseminating news (we knew Penang, Selangor, Shahrizat, Samy Vellu fate long before the confirmation news on TV), and most of all, IDENTIFIABLE people who works with almost no pay. We see concern citizens, retired civil servants, former reporters and even one grandmother blogging with ONLY the fervent hope of a fair, fast and non-candy coated news.
Recently, a few bloggers managed to PROVE the existence of a media blackout not at the time of your predecessor (that was easy) BUT during your watch as Minister of Information. The local dailies DID NOT report the outcome of the PM’s AFTERNOON visit to the Yang diPertuan Agong (on the 26th March) until the 28th March, a gap of more than 36 hours. Even the on-line news (Bernama and NST) failed to report on the outcome till night 27th March, a gap of more than 24 hours. Blogs however have been excellent in giving CORRECT information quickly to the masses. Rocky’s bru for example have been giving updates from 4.15pm on 26th March of the meeting and a CONFIRMED outcome by the 27th March in the afternoon. In an era of fast cars and even faster transfer of information, our print media have failed miserably in their job. I suspect (so do most bloggers and their readers) that the media reporters ARE NOT GIVEN THE PERMISSION TO PUBLISH THEIR STORY BY SOMEONE WITH AUTHORITY HIGH UP IN THE GOVERNMENT. This kind of lapse will give legitimacy to the masses suspicions of puppet masters, conspiracy theories, and the infamous 4th floor string pulling and spin doctoring. I have no reason to believe that an early release of the information is a threat to our country or cause riots; in fact the contrary is true. The suppression will cause uneasiness among the population.
Edmund Burke once said, ‘All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing’. I hope Y.B. Dato’ that you are doing SOMETHING. As a Muslim, I have the right to remind myself and others that Allah is on the side of right no matter how oppressed and Muslims must protect the innocents, including bloggers that fight tyranny in the face with a keyboard and an RM77 internet subscription. There are lies too concocted and spread by bad bloggers that makes the rest of us look bad, this is true also of politicians. There are politicians whom are convicted of corruption, womanizing and even murder BUT that does not make true of the others. I pray you do the right thing no matter what and do it quickly. There is an on-line movement currently initiated by bloggers to boycott our national papers for their inefficiency, biasness, lies and threats towards innocent bloggers (a few bloggers like Rocky, Jeff Ooi are currently being sued for defamation by NSTP).
Your colleague, Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob (Minister of Youth and Sports) said on 23rd March 2008 during a celebration in a Rakan Muda Complex, ‘…If we continue to rubbish the blogs, I am worried that it will one day take over the role of the mainstream newspapers...’
If you do not do something to arrest this problem, I fear that his prediction would one day come true right before your very eyes.
Your Sincerely,
Reza Zainal
http://rezazainalmeanderings.blogspot.com/
References : Rocky Bru’s at http://www.rockybru.blogspot.com/
Nuraina A. Samad at http://nursamad.blogspot.com/
Tok Mommy at http://mariasamad.blogspot.com/ and Marina Mahathir at http://rantingsbymm.blogspot.com/
