Someone Please Shoot Jeff Ooi Too

Does Jeff Ooi like his soup piping hot? I would like to think so because he has just gotten himself into one again. He was implicated for a comment that someone left in his blog. P. Gunasegaram, theSun and Nexnews Group Executive Editor, lodged a complaint with the Communications and Multimedia Content Forum against Jeff for allowing a comment that was interpreted as to incite people to cause bodily harm to Gunasegaram.

Is this the shape of things to come for the blogosphere in Malaysia? Will this incident intimidate blog readers enough for them to stop leaving comments? Or if they do leave comments, will it be sterile? Will bloggers moderate comments or disable the commenting function once and for all? Will bloggers be subjected to multi-million ringgit lawsuits like one that befell on the late MGG Pillai?

Those who live by the sword die by the sword. Bloggers should not be any different. We are bound by the laws of the country. I opted not to blog anonymously for the simple reason that if my details are easily available, I will be more vigilant in what I write and not run foul of the law. The moment we put up an entry, we must realise that we are liable for it, for better or worse. Therefore, we have to be responsible for what we write. We also have to be responsible for what other people leave in our blogs. That is how this game is being played.

There have been attempts by several quarters to stifle the progress of blogs as an alternative medium for disseminating information not published in the mainstream media. While I agree that some bloggers have used it to further their malicious agendas, most of us are using it in a responsible manner.

Jeff may be opinionated. That is not a bad thing. As it is this country is full of sycophants willing to sell their souls for fatter bank accounts. Despite his idiosyncrasies, Jeff has done a lot to reveal the other side of the coin of the Malaysian socio-political arena. As a fellow blogger and a citizen, I support what he has been doing although I may not agree with some of the methods he employed.

No. we should not shoot Jeff Ooi the messenger. Instead, together with him, we should attempt to use whatever rights we have to reveal the misdeeds that are robbing us blind and propagate a society that is fair and just to all, irrespective of creed or colour. That is a Malaysia that I envision. I believe it is one that many of you desire too. And we as bloggers can play a part in realising that common dream.

Author: Peter Tan

Peter Gabriel Tan. Penangite residing in the Klang Valley. Blissfully married to Wuan. A LaSallian through and through. Slave to three cats. Wheelchair user since 1984. End-stage renal disease since 2017. Principal Facilitator at Peter Tan Training specialising in Disability Equality Training. Former columnist of Breaking Barriers with The Borneo Post. This blog chronicles my life, thoughts and opinions. Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

5 thoughts on “Someone Please Shoot Jeff Ooi Too”

  1. If I cause someone bodily harm online, that’ll be something. LOL!

    Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words won’t hurt me. Humbug. 😛

    Peter:
    Hmm…

  2. Hi Peter,

    I have not visited your site for a while and tot I would do it this evening just to catch up with things. Looks like you are still blogging and cool keep up the good writing. Glad that all is well with you and that your spirit is high. I am still blogging about my dear son and will do that as long as I can. He is progressing each day, getting better and hopefully a miracle will happen one day…can always dream right? Meanwhile I am just all hearts out for him. Take care and keep in touch.

    Peter:
    You take care too. Will definitely keep in touch. 🙂

  3. I don’t particularly like Jeff. The way he (consciously or unconsciously) promotes himself, the way he writes, the arguments he may helm when he presents his point of view, the (again, apparent and perhaps unconscious) dichotomy that seems to exist between his particular views and other people’s, particular to that of fellow bloggers, his lack of apparent approachability (and to a point, humanity) and an apparent sensitivity to either humorous or serious criticism.

    I’ve often been told that I should stand up for this guy, because, you know, he’s a blogger, and his rights are my rights. But the longer he hangs around the more I get the impression that the rights he’s fighting for are his rights to speak and think, not mine.

    Peter:
    We should stand up for someone because he is right, not because he is in the same clique as us. But then again, what is right to one may be wrong for someone else.

  4. 🙂 credibility would help a lot.

    so as usual, the more of that that we gain, the less time we have for these things.

    also we become less willing to risk that more that we have.

    the world is not unfair. the world is just selfish.

    Peter:
    This is how it usually is. Selfishness is an apparent human nature in all of us whether we admit it or not, realise it or not.

Comments are closed.