KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 28: The Home Ministry's announcement that it would amend the draconian Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 so that the government could take action against bloggers and online media has riled up the local Twitter community.
Many believe the Act, instead of being reinforced and its scope widened, should be repealed.
Home minister Hishamuddin Hussein had earlier said the public should not pre-judge the amendment as details were yet to be finalised.
One former journalist however said the fact that the government has the intention to expand the scope of the Act was enough to dissapoint Malaysians.
“The fact that they're trying to extend the PPPA to the online world is bad enough, exact details don’t really matter,” said Asohan Aryaduray.
Echoing him, lawyer Edmund Bon rebuked Hishamuddin’s reasoning by saying it would be too late to protest once the amendment was ready.
“It's illogical to say wait for amendments ... then protest. By that time too late. PPPA has done it's time. Let it go,” he urged.
Another Twitter user by the name 'anthraxxxx' said with a more powerful press law, Twitter users would now have to "think before you tweet".
The chief editor of pro-MCA daily The Star Wong Chun Wai also joined the fray urging for the act's abolition, saying instead of adding more laws in the name of covering loopholes, the country should be doing away with them.
“It is regressive,” he remarked.
Steven Gan (right), one of the co-founders of popular online news portal Malaysiakini described the amendment the height of the government's censorship drive and a final blow to online media.
“It is likely that, should the proposed amendments become law, the online media too will be required to apply for a licence.
"This will be the final nail in the coffin for press freedom,” said Steven.
Another twitterati linked the plan to prime minister Najib Razak's recent “tanyanajib” (Ask Najib) chat session on the microblogging site, which saw Najib being grilled by angry and harsh questions, and prompted prompted the Home Ministry to take action.
Another compared the amended act to "virtual tear gas and water cannon" against "illegal online gathering".
Several Pakatan Rakyat leaders have also expressed displeasure.
PKR's Pantai Jerejak state assemblyman Sim Tze Tzin said the person behind the amendment could be Information, Communications, and Culture minister Rais Yatim, recently caught in the middle of accusations which surfaced on the Internet that he had raped his maid.
Tricia Yeoh from the Selangor Menteri Besar's office wondered whether the amendment would receive any support from Barisan Nasional members of parliament.
“I'd like to know which MP (BN included) really supports the expansion of PPPA - if you disagree then go with your conscience on this one,” she urged, and said the latest move would push the country's annual press freedom index lower.
http://en.harakahdaily.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2168:move-to-control-online-gets-flak-from-twitteratis&catid=34:primary&Itemid=56
No comments:
Post a Comment