Article from AsiaMedia:

MALAYSIA: Malaysians hounded by vicious blogging too

Police complaints lodged against readers who post seditious responses to blogs

The Straits Times
Tuesday, September 27, 2005

By Carolyn Hong

Blogger Ameer Zulkifli is used to heated debates on his blog, but one comment left by a reader two weeks ago shocked him with the ugliness of the racist diatribe.

Although reluctant, he felt compelled to lodge a police report against the reader for slandering Malays and cursing the government.

‘It could have created a bucketful of trouble for me,’ said Mr Ameer, a management consultant who blogs on current affairs and politics on his well-read site Brand Malaysia.

Under Malaysian law, a blogger may be liable if he condones inflammatory debate on his website.

Mr Ameer, 34, is not alone as another blogger, Mr Peter Tan, also lodged a police report against the same commentator for leaving a racist opinion on his site on Sept 17.

Police are investigating their reports, which could form the basis for the first Internet sedition case.

As online diaries, blogs are hugely popular in Malaysia but they are also becoming forums to air provocative opinions on topics regarded as too sensitive for public discussion.

Bloggers who focus on current issues often find their sites attracting strong opinions from readers with a tendency towards defamatory, seditious and inflammatory views.

‘Political bloggers tend to have this kind of problem. It is the dark side of the Internet,’ said one of Malaysia’s most widely read Web writers, Mr Jeff Ooi, who has had his own share of problems with vicious comments left on his blog.

He now watches his blog Screenshots closely to swiftly delete seditious opinions which often pour in when he discusses race-related topics.

Mr Ooi is ambivalent about lodging police reports against commentators but nevertheless felt that the move had sent out the message that the Internet was not a legal vacuum.

‘What is illegal offline is also illegal online,’ he said.

So far, the authorities have not taken action although they are not unaware of inflammatory Internet postings.

This is partly because they only act on complaints due to the sheer volume of material online, and very few complaints have been lodged.

Of the 131 complaints filed with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) in the past year, only one dealt with sedition. That case was about a reader ‘Anwar’ who had posted a comment offensive to Muslims on Mr Ooi’s website. ‘Anwar’, a hospital lab technician, was eventually traced.

MCMC corporate communications head Adelina Iskandar said the matter was still with the prosecution department, but The Straits Times understands that a lack of technical evidence has forced the file to be shelved.

She said the authorities prefer to encourage self-regulation among Internet users.

The bloggers, too, prefer self-policing as responsible behaviour gives their writing greater weight and credibility.

‘If bloggers behave like dogs barking in the night, people will only throw shoes at them,’ said Mr Ameer.

Date Posted: 9/27/2005

After the storms of the previous two weeks that had lashed mercilessly from all sides, three pleasant things happened today. The first was a question that Pak Idrus asked in his blog, In Passing – Malaysian, that had me nodding in agreement. That one sentence provided much food for thought. We have met briefly at the PPS 2nd Anniversary Bash. This is what was written in Blogging With Wisdom:

What is freedom if there are no peace and harmony in this country…

I am not at liberty to divulge the other two pleasant surprises yet. Both were phone calls that brought uplifting news. One has been a two-year dream that is coming to fruition. The other is no less important. Both are directions that will converge into a single path that will lead to what I have planned to do. Life is great. God has been merciful. Friends have been supportive. I have many reasons to be thankful for.

One with the blogger boys.

Many new faces attended the Mid Valley Bloggers Meet II at Oasis Food Court apart from the few veterans like Dustyhawk, Silencers, Sashi, Albert and Redzuan. The turnout was the largest yet so far this year. Another bash has been planned for the end of the year at a place more conducive for chatting. We have ran out of welcome at the two food courts in Mid Valley Megamall. Do keep a lookout for the announcement soon. I am glad I got the opportunity to get to know many more bloggers this time around. Thank you for attending and making this another successful meet. Below is the list of attendees from MageP’s Lab:

One of the two flashers’ behind.

Deandra - Memoirs Of An Employed Naivette
Norzu - What’s In My Head
Adi - A Technology Blog @ Syiok.Com
Sashi - Sashi-isms
Andreas - AlwaysWOW! For a Great Great WoW In Life
MENJ - MENJ’s Critical Thoughts
Fazri - The Silent Room
Hani - Practising Discretion
Tariq/T-boy - WHY ARE YOU HERE?
Frostier - A Weblog Of My Mind, My Memories, My Life
Yvonne Foong - Freelance Writer & Patient Of Neurofibromatosis
Andrew - Ironic Paradox
Serge - .:: Dustyhawk :: Broken Mirror ::.
Chea Yee - Tales Of BakChee LengLui
Naoko - Ramblings
Albert - Glaring Notebook Trained
Madeline Yee - MORE TO SHARE ….
Nilesh Babu
Danny Foo - Websites Made Simple
Aniel Yoong - Angelceres
Nicholas - HELPING OF ME
Davina - RetardationNation
Raymond - Cybersist
Tiger Joe - The Tiger’s Den
Dzof - PPS Review
Fat Cat Lim - Away From Keyboard Journal
Redzuan - dJ Phuturecybersonique:
Peter Tan - The Digital Awakening
Wuan -  Point and  Shoot
Eyeris - Eye on Everything
Bkworm - Imagination Is The Key To Freedom
Marita Paige - A Leaf Off The Page of Marita’s Life
MataKecik - Life Through Little Eyes
Emily - The Life I Choose To Live
James - Loopy Meals

Related entries:
Dustyhawk ~ Mid Valley Meetup II Completed
MageP’s Lab ~ Mid Valley Bloggers Gathering II
Norzu ~ I Survived It
Menj ~ An Afterword: Bloggers Meet II
T-boy ~ The Blog Meet
Chea Yee ~ My First Blogger Meet Up. How Was It?
Naoko ~ Bloggers’ Meet Update
Albert ~ Me, Nih Shorts Hair
Danny Foo ~ Mid Valley Bloggers Minutes
Nilesh babu ~ Better Late Than Never: Bloggers Meet Up

* More photos have been uuploaded to the Gallery.

In today’s NST Editorial:

EDITORIAL: Up to no good

Sept 26
WHAT was striking about the removal of the inflammatory messages posted by “good man” on the blogs — and the subsequent police reports lodged against the anonymous writer — was that it was done by the bloggers themselves.

Since blogs are bywords for freedom of expression, one would have thought that they would be the last place to practise self-censorship or to favour restraints. But regulating content on the Internet is what the proposed code of conduct by bloggers for Malaysian blogs sets out to do.

This should not be viewed as an authoritarian backlash against unfettered freedom on the Net but a level-headed admission that with freedom comes responsibility. The message that comes across is that these Malaysian bloggers are willing to accept the responsibility that comes with the free flow of information in cyberspace.

In doing so, they have rightly drawn the line against pandering to those who promote racial and religious prejudice.

Unlike those who defend at all times the unrestricted right of anyone to write what they want on the Net, the bloggers accept that there are limits to such liberties. In no country and in no medium is freedom of expression absolute.

Libel laws, for instance, prohibit both offline and online expressions that damage reputations. Since the bloggers appear to have reason to believe that “good man” was up to no good with his provocative remarks, they have every right to take issue not only with what “good man” said but also with the right to say it.

Indeed, there is a strong case not to extend the right of free speech to those who peddle racial and religious hatred. When people pen racist words to incite ill-will, they are not merely articulating hurtful opinions but also causing harm to race relations.

Those who make malicious remarks about other ethnic or religious groups should not be allowed to speak and write with impunity.

While many would agree on the need for some controls on the dissemination of information in cyberspace — and there are laws against the production of, and access to, offensive and seditious materials — the problem appears to lie with enforcement.

The threat of prosecution and punishment under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 does not seem to have served as a sufficient deterrent. It is significant that, to date, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission has not brought anyone to book.

Admittedly, the nature and scale of the Internet makes it difficult to regulate what goes on in the information superhighway. Blogs and newsgroups can evade jurisdiction by being hosted on servers outside the country, and technologies are available to assure anonymity and prevent detection.

While the difficulty of bringing the online lawbreakers to trial cannot be underestimated, unless successful charges are brought against them, it would be difficult to rein in the abuses on the Internet. It is imperative, therefore, for the authorities to act decisively.

The online version is here.

Photo by Wuan.

One of the causes that I support wholeheartedly is the National Cancer Society of Malaysia, Penang Branch. They run the Rumah Hospis and the Hospice-at-Home-Programme, providing palliative care to people who are suffering from end-stage illnesses. I was touched by their generosity at a time when I was most desperate for help.

When all hope was lost, they were there to ease the pain and comfort the one person that I loved most. There was much frustration and fear in me then, seeing Mum wasting away and not being able to do a thing. During those few months, I shed more tears than I had shed in my entire life. There was no pain greater than the agony of seeing the woman who gave me life slowly losing hers. Truly, those were the days that I lived one day at a time. I dreaded tomorrow because I feared what it would bring and what it would take away.

The Penang Hospice-at-Home-Programme stepped in after Mum was referred to them by the heamatologist. Pain is a constant companion to cancer sufferers. Mum was no exception. Karen, the palliative care nurse, helped with the pain management. We worked together to get the right dosage of painkillers (dihydrocodeine tartrate and Celebrex) so that Mum would be lucid enough and at the same time her pain alleviated. It was a great improvement from being sedated all the time to being able to spend some quality time chatting with friends and neighbours when they dropped in to see her.

Karen also provided advice and support on other medical aspects of Mum’s condition. It would have been difficult for me to keep checking with the heamatologist on all these issues. In those dark hours, the Hospice was like the sun shining through an opening in the clouds after an exceptionally terrifying storm. Their frequent presence was reassuring at a time when my world was falling apart.

I am forever grateful to the Penang Hospice for coming into Mum’s and my life at a time we needed assistance most. I now fully subscribe to the philosophy of the Hospice because I do not know of any nobler group of people who are willing to spend time and effort in easing the journey into the final sunset of our fellow humans better than they can. This is one of the causes that I am dedicating my life to helping in any little way I can. It is my way of saying “Thank you for being there when we needed it most.”

The World Hospice and Palliative Care Day is celebrated here in Malaysia on September 24 – 25, 2005. In conjunction with this day, Voices for Hospices is also held concurrently. I reproduce the blurb from the flyer of the Voices for Hospices 2005 Penang below:

VOICES FOR HOSPICES 2005
World Hospice and Palliative Care Day
24 – 25 September 2005

Voice For Hospices in an internationally celebrated musical event initiated in 1994 in the United Kingdom. It is to highlight hospice globally. The last time it was held was on 4 October 2003 when we in Penang took part for the first time with over 500 concerts worldwide. In addition, World Hospice and Palliative Care Day will also be celebrated for the first time in recognition of hospice services throughout the world, which now numbers over 8000.

Hospice is compassionate whole person care for patients with an advances illness. Its aim is to alleviate suffering and improve the quality of life by providing medical and nursing care, emotional and spiritual support to patient and family. The Hospice movement was initiated with the establishment of St. Christopher’s Hospice in London in 1967 by Dame Cicely Saunders. Since then the movement has spread to every continent on the globe.

In Malaysia, hospice care is available in almost all the main towns. This service is provided by NGOs as well as some public and private hospitals. One of the first hospice programmes in Malaysia began in Penang as a community service in 1992. Since then this has grown to eight services including in-patient care. These eight groups as listed below have got together to organize this musical experience.

We invite you not only to the concert but also to the exhibition (10 am to 10 pm) and a public forum on Hospice (2.30 pm to 4.30 pm) on Saturday 24 September 2005 at Dewan Sri Pinang. In addition there will be a scientific meeting for health professionals from 9.00 am to 12.30 pm on Sunday 25 September 2005.

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HOSPICES IN PENANG
Penang Hospice Society
Buddhist Tzu Chi Merit Society, Malaysia
Mount Miriam Hsopital, Palliative Care Centre
Unit Pallatif, Hospital Pulau Pinang
Unit Pallatif, Hospital Bukit Mertajam
Pure Lotus Hospice of Compassion
National Cancer Society of Malaysia, Penang Branch
Charis Hospice

Related category:
Hospice in Penang