A petition against criminalizing satire on the Net

Criminalize WAR, not SATIRE! Please sign this petition in support of Hassan Skodeng and satire on the Net.

"I guess not everyone's contribution to the nation is remembered"

Gone and Forgotten. This picture was emailed to me by a reader yesterday, taken on Merdeka Day, with the accompanying caption, "I guess not everyone's contribution to the nation is remembered".

The [allegedly] criminal satires of Hassan Skodeng who had a flat on his way to court this morning

Watch the vid! Hassan Skodeng in Court.

WHEN the reporters asked me at the PJ Sessions Court this morning what I thought about this Government of Malaysia

vs Hassan Skodeng case, where Irwan Abdul Rahman, 36, aka Hassan Skodeng is being charged of sending out false information on the Internet with the malicious intent of annoying another person, I said that as a blogger I was truly annoyed by the fact that the AG's Chamber or the MCMC or TNB saw it necessary to turn this into a court case.

I said: "I thought only the past Administration under the previous prime minister was capable of such @#*! action. Obviously, under this Admin and this Prime Minister, we haven't changed that much".

I added: "I wanted to say this is a waste of the court's time and taxpayers' money but I won't say that. (I'd say) let's hope this case will help educate some people on what satire means".

24 Nov 2010 is the next court date for Hassan Skodeng. PJ Sessions Court, 8.30 am. Mahaguru 58 told me in the court house the time has come for bloggers to unite again because obviously the "authorities are not done with intimidating us".

"They have not learned anything from March 2008".

Yeah, easier said than done. The Malaysian blogosphere is so fragmented, Mahaguru. Divided and ruled by politicians.

But I'm soothed by the fact that Hassan Skodeng is determined to fight this attempt to intimidate him (I'm not sure who's trying to intimidate and who his satire annoyed - the AG, Rais Yatim the minister, or Che Khalib the mighty TNB ceo; past cases against bloggers/commenters using Section 233 (1) (a) had been against the Sultan of Perak and the Sultan of Johor).

And happy to note that another blogger - Jahabardeen - will be defending Irwan against his accusers.

And my own lawyer Edmund Bon has been sending tweets on how this one should be dealt with.

Happier still to note that Art Harun had sms-ed to offer his services if Skodeng is without counsel, although he "doesn't usually do criminal cases".

And plain happy to see some good old bloggers there this morning: Sheih Kickdefella, Syed Akbar Ali, Big Dog aka Zakhir Mohamad, Shamsul Yunus of the Marahku blog, Nuraina A. Samad, Jebat Must Die, and Mahaguru 58.

Zorro I-will-walk-with-Hassan Unmasked sms-ed to say he couldn't make it. Shanghai Fish was also there in spirit.

All in all, just like the good old days. Well, almost.

To Hassan Skodeng, all the best. POWERRRRRR ... EXTREEEEME!!!

Updated:

In case you've missed out on how Hassan Skodeng had annoyed on his blog that has disclaimers everywhere to tell you that his is about satire, fiction and parody, read Hassan Skodeng, he started a joke 
 

IGP Musa Hassan to retire after 41 years with PDRM

Ismail Omar is new IGP.

Tan Sri Ismail Omar  (pic, right) will have a tough act to follow. In his 4 years as IGP, Musa Hassan has set the template for the rebranding of the PDRM. He's had to battle not just corruption within the force but also growing contempt from politicians - both in the government and the opposition - and a pressing need to improve the lot of the policemen. Musa remains an unpopular individual to some politicians but to the cops, especially at the grassroots level, he is a hero respected and loved.

To the rakyat, an IGP is measured by his track record of fighting crime and making their environment a safer place. And to Musa's credit, the crime rate has dipped tremendously, especially in the last one year. One of the highlights during Musa Hassan's tenure as IGP is the capture of Mas Selamat, the alleged terrorist who escaped Singapore's inescapable prison. Mas

Selamat was planning an attack against targets in Singapore from his hideout in Johor when Musa's men arrested him. Johor, of course, was where Musa made his name as a CPO earlier this decade, during which he launched a massive crackdown on crime, especially gangsterism and made-for-Singapore vices in and around JB.

Ismail will be assisted by Hussin Ismail (pic, left), who'll filled the position as Deputy IGP.

Updates

MUSA HASSAN; NEVER BEFORE SO MANY OWED TO SO FEW by Big Dog

14 million UVs

Salam Bro

Congratulations for hitting the 14 million mark. Proof that your unflinching dedication to ethical, factual and truthful blogging is paying huge dividends. Truly enjoy reading your blog and all the comments therein, inane or otherwise. As surely as this blog makes my day, it also makes nightmares for the haters, the cynics, the hypocrites and all other types of lowlifes.
Am sure more million hits are already winging their way here.

Warrior 231

12:54 PM (Sept 1)

Thank you, Warrior 231, for the well-wishes. The next million UVs* (unique visitors) are dedicated to all the Skodengs out there.

* Sila baca Beza antara hits, page views dan unique visitors oleh Remgold

The Skodeng Satire: PJ Sessions Court, Thursday 2 Sept, 8.30am

Updated: Blogger Hassan Skodeng to face charge tomorrow, The Malay Mail, Sept 1

Bloggers For Satire. Many people have been asking me, who is Hassan Skodeng?

Well, Skodeng is a journalist and cartoonist who started a blog not too long ago to help readers not to take themselves too seriously. You may have seen and enjoyed his cartoons published by The Malay Mail. He is no LAT but he's as easy-going, unattached (to any political party), and right now quite down. As an executive editor of The Malay Mail, he also writes the column Uncommon Sense for the afternoon daily.

Last night, we found him a lawyer willing to take up his case for almost nothing for now. The whole of today, Skodeng will be busy trying to raise money for bail tomorrow. But money is not what he's asking from you. He needs you to lend him support with your physical presence tomorrow at the PJ Sessions Court.

I'll see you there.

Skodeng is being charged under Section 233 (1) (A) for sending out false news/info with the malicious intent to hurt. He could be jailed for ONE year and fined up to RM50,000.

Bloggers have come out strongly in support of Skodeng and satire.

1. Holy Mother Crap! by lawyer Art Haron (read also his posting earlier this year No Joke please, We are TNB)

All are classic Malaysian-esque display of moronic orgies. It's like we are all living in a porn of stupidity, where everyday, everyone of us tries hard to outdo each other's stupidity.

For God's sake, that article by Hassan Skodeng WAS A JOKE! Which part of  the word "joke" which we do not understand? Have we all become wet blankets? Or incorrigible kill joy?

I hope the Judge would see the light and dismiss this utterly laughable, ludicrous and not to mention ridiculous charge. 

2. When Satire is crime, Comedians beware by could-be-lawyer Shamsul Yunus

Did he say that TNB is a corrupt monopoly? No
Did he say that YNB victimised Malaysians? No
Did he take personal potshots at TNB bigwigs? No

3. Are Brit-educated Che Khalib and AG and MCMC officers too "bodoh" and insular to understand satire? by A Voice aka Husin Lempoyang

Anyone with any ounce of intelligence would notice that the blog header indicate it is not a serious blog. Immediately upon reading any of it's postings, one can sense Nose4news is a satire blog, just like Husin Lempoyang.

Yes, let me admit that Husin Lempoyang is mine. It is for that not so serious moments. Go ahead Monsterball, go after me if you are still around!

4.  Cyber Police Running Wild! by Apanama

I bet you could laugh over and over again, over this latest fiasco by our very own Cyber Police plus the supporting act of the Attorney General's chambers.

5. AG's inconsistency or version of parody by Big Dog 

... Hassan Skodeng’s charge is about inconsistency and probable the practice of selective prosecution. Unless, probably the AG is doing his version ‘parody’. It is not likely. Neither it is funny.

6. No Joke! by Op-ED

I remember in mid-1990s enjoying on video the Instant Cafe comedies - someone recorded them for posterity. One was making a comedy out of Anwar Ibrahim the then deputy prime minister as a girly-man, and Dr Mahathir as a haughty boss. This was before 1998 when Anwar became entangled with the courts with sodomy accusations and Dr M became 'MahaFiraun'. Hearty laughter for the paying audience.
No harm done, except perhaps to make everyone loves politicians more because they seem more human rather than idiotic robots.
Errr but now, I think some people cannot take a joke anymore.
Benda gini pun nak bawa gi court. Are you see-rai-ous?
Apa nak jadi nih?

7. Lawak Jenaka adalah Jenayah di Malaysia oleh Amin Iskandar 

  Sila baca sendiri tulisan berkenaan (maaf, tulisan dalam Bahasa Inggeris. Tak faham? Siapo suruh ekau lawan PPSMI dulu?)

8. Sebab nama dia Hassan, kalau nama dia Ah San ... oleh Sheih Kickdefella

Apakah orang Melayu yang duduk di atas-atas sana tak boleh diusik oleh orang Melayu sendiri? Saya tidak mahu ke situ, tetapi nampaknya itulah jalan yang hendak dituju oleh pihak berkuasa kita. Sebelum apa-apa, saya mintak maaf dulu ya. Wee Meng Chee pun boleh berhibur dengan Negarakuku dan mintak maaf….

9. Stop intimidating bloggers! by Ashraf Abdullah

Have our authorities lost their sense of humour? Or is this an attempt by the Attorney-General and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to intimidate bloggers?

10.  Neighhhh! by Amir Hafizi

IN A WORLD, where laughter is SIN! ONE MAN, or rather, a baboon, dared to make fun of TNB, and TNB has taken him to court for lese mejeste, or something like that. I don't know. I never studied law. All this French-kissing and Latin terms confuse me. Maybe I should refer to the paginarum fulvinarum.

If TNB can sue this baboon, Hassan Skodeng, they can sue anyone. In the interest of preserving freedome of speechless, I say, neighhhhhh!

SHOCKING! In Malaysia, laughter is the latest crime

The Government of Malaysia vs  blogger Hassan Skodeng. A few days before April's Fool Day of 2010, blogger Hassan Skodeng wrote this satire about "green terrorists" and a "seething" TNB boss who called on Malaysians to say no to the dark and fight for their lights, and who screamed "POWERRR EXTREME!!" at the end of a fictitious press conference.
Yes, it's a parody. A satire. A joke?
But the people at the MCMC obviously don't think so. And the people at the A-G's Chamber must have concurred with the people from MCMC because they are charging Hassan Skodeng in court tomorrow. Yep, these are the same guys who dragged Tun Ling Liong Sik for deceiving the Cabinet recently!
Not just that, as in Ling's alleged deception, Hassan Skodeng's satire is being classified a CRIME; this ain't a civil case, bro!

More about Hassan Skodeng later in the day.
For now, do read his piece and form your own opinion.
But laugh at your own peril.

[A reQuest, if you wish to republish Hassan Skodeng's masterpiece below, please attach a disclaimer to say that it's a JOKE/SATIRE/PARODY, otherwise the TNB people would lodge another complaint with the MCMC and who knows this time the WWF may want to join the fray and take Hassan Skodeng to the international court for poking fun at it and the Earth Hour!].

By Hassan Skodeng
TNB to sue WWF over Earth Hour

KUALA LUMPUR — Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), Malaysia’s premier energy provider today announced that they were taking legal action against the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) for organising the Earth Hour, a global movement that makes a stand against climate change by turning off all non-essential lights and electrical equipment for an hour every year.

In a Press conference, TNB president and CEO Dato’ Sri Che Khalib Mohd Noh said that the annual worldwide symbolic gesture, which this year would be observed this Saturday at 8.30pm, is nothing more than an ‘arrogant and thoughtless viral movement’ aimed to hurt power companies such as TNB.

CHE KHALIB: These people are inconsiderate. “Obviously these green-minded fellows think they’re really cute, organising such an irresponsible campaign,” said Che Khalib angrily. “They say ‘turn off your lights for an hour’ and people do. I bet that really makes them feel all powerful.

“What these western colonialists fail to grasp is how such drastic action affects the poor companies like us. One hour of unused electricity means an hour of wastage for TNB. Did you know that last year’s Earth Hour costed us millions in unrealised revenue?” asked Che Khalib, seething.

“How do you think that affected our production? We couldn’t exactly turn off our power plants just because a large number of Malaysians turn off their lights at the same time. So imagine all that wasted energy.

“This year, we expect even more people to fall for this global con-job,” added Che Khalib.

“So there’ll be more lights turned off. KL alone would be engulfed in darkness. Yes, sure, it may seem fun to some, running around in complete darkness. But that also means TNB would get less money. Tell me, what am I supposed to say to the kids of this electrical technician when we can’t give bonus this year?” asked Che Khalib, as he pointed to a TNB staff manning the lights for the Press conference.

He added, “In light of such inconsiderate actions by these tree huggers, TNB has no choice but to take legal action against the Earth Hour organisers, WWF. We’ll wait for our accountants to come back with the loss figure after this year’s Earth Hour, and we plan to sue them for that same amount. We may even add a hundred million ringgit or so, to teach them a lesson.”

Che Khalib also reminded Malaysians to ignore the Earth Hour, calling it a ‘cultural invasion, a concerted assault by extreme liberal forces aimed to destabilise poorer nations’.

“We are Malaysians, and we should be proud of our lights. Every night we should go out and see the beautiful sparkling lights in our city skylines. Don’t be ashamed of the lights,” said Che Khalib, as he unveiled a set of pictures showing the Petronas Twin Towers and the surrounding buildings consequently going dark during last year’s Earth Hour.

God knows how many people tripped over things and hurt themselves in the complete darkness, not to mention the number of bad people going around doing naughty things, knowing the authorities could not see them.

“Let’s reverse the order of these pictures this year, and fight for the rights to our lights,” continued Che Khalib. “Let’s unite as 1Malaysia, and tell these green terrorists that we will not go dark! We will not switch off! Let’s tell them that we love our lights!

“POWERRR… EXTREME!” he screamed, as powerful clusters of foglamps flooded the conference room with ultra-bright and hot light, temporarily blinding everyone present, and signalling the end of the Press conference.

31 Ogos 2010

Salam Merdeka ke 53.
Dah tak ada ancaman Kominis, penjajah dah pun diusir. Negara kita punya bersama, tapi perangai buruk lama masih tak hilang ....

PUTRAJAYA 30 Ogos – Pihak berkuasa harus mengambil tindakan tegas terhadap sebarang perbuatan yang boleh mencetuskan sentimen perkauman agar ia tidak menimbulkan natijah yang buruk, kata Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
Tindakan seumpama itu, tegasnya, harus dilaksanakan secara berterusan walaupun mungkin ia sudah diambil sebelum ini.
"Kita tidak mahu rakyat berasa tidak selamat.. jika perbuatan ini dibiarkan berleluasa, maka ia akan mencetuskan ketidakseimbangan dalam masyarakat,” katanya kepada pemberita selepas mempengerusikan mesyuarat Majlis Sumber Air Negara (MSAN) Kelima di sini hari ini.
Beliau berkata demikian ketika diminta mengulas video klip terbaru yang menyentuh isu perkauman oleh Namewee atau nama sebenarnya Wee Meng Chee. - Utusan Malaysia, Isu Perkauman: Pihak Berkuasa Perlu Ambil Tindakan Tegas. Read also PM: Don't let racial issues destroy what has been built

Nak tegas macamana? ISA tak mahu, polis ditalu.
Bila agaknya negara kita ni akan betul2 aman dan damai, tiada syak dan rasa cemburu?

EPF's "spending spree"?

The Independent calls it a "spending spree" but according to the EPF it's not as lavish as it sounds and explains where OUR savings totaling some RM5 billion will go H E R E.

Tg Pagar: Did a certain someone lose the plot?

Daim to the rescue? Apart from Dr Mahathir  Mohamad, former Finance Minister Daim Zainuddin is the only person this

side of the Causeway who knows the inside-out of the Tanjung Pagar 1990 deal with Singapore. Daim was the go-between between Dr M, who was then our PM, and Lee Kuan Yew, hiscounterpart from the republic.

The basic agreements struck by Najib Razak and Lee Hsien Loong were, in fact, the basic agreements already reached by the two governments in the 1990 deal. So if it's true that Daim has been roped in to resolve some sticky issues with Uncle Harry, as what Syed Akbar Ali wrote in his latest posting h e r e, that's not bad news. At least we're assured that Malaysia won't be a pushover in this case. If you're old enough to remember CLOB, you'd know that Daim is capable of playing hard ball though in this case there may not be any need to as he and the older Lee from Singapore are known to be fast friends.

But if Daim is back, it could mean that Nor Mohamed Yakcop is losing his plot.

Will the REAL Anak Bangsa Malaysia stand up, please?!

So, Whats up Malaysia,  Demi Negara's first posting in over 5 months take a dig at politicians from both Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional, and even those who don't belong to either. Yep, our politics sucks big time. But DN says we can't blame snoozing politicians all the time ...

What kind of Rakyat have we become? How come we have allowed our destiny and our childrens’ future be charted by a bunch of bungling fools, perverts, tricksters and outright crooks? How did we as a nation ended up with a syiok sendiri jargon-laden PM and a sleazy opposition leader who wants to be the PM at all costs plus sleepy mullahs and assorted rabid racists hellbent on imposing social chaos and anarchy on a land they know they cannot own.

And so he's calling for the people to take matters in their hands. In a peaceful manner, of course.

Folks, we need a revolution. No, not of the French or Russian or Romanian kinds, but a revolution within our inner selves, and collectively as a society, as members of the real Anak Bangsa Malaysia .... Should we just stand aside and watch our curiously spineless government bent over backwards to accommodate these subversives in its futile hope of garnering votes in the next GE? Is this what its all about? Votes? Do Malaysia have the luxury of trading anarchy for votes?

No, we don't have that luxury. Let DN know how we can go about and make our force our politicians to serve us and not themselves, H E R E. 

Defending NEP, Questioning Meritocracy

A definitive piece. This blogger irregularly because he believes in a very, very well-researched posting that makes each one worth the wait. Questioning the NEP? not only re-educates the like  P. Gunasegaran and Nazir Razak on how this country owes much of its successes to the NEP but at the same time points out the not-so-obvious flaws in the pro-meritocracy arguments of the Art Haruns (re Eh, Tun Dah Lupa?) among us.

Jebat Must Die does not ridicule them or insult any of them or us, he's just reminding us that the NEP was put there to create a level-playing field for a lop-sided multiracial country that was at the edge of chaos and racial strife. And that it hasn't exhausted its usefulness.

In GLC Malaysia, not all is Gloom

Shazalli's 17 quarters. A proof that a GLC can be more dynamic

than the competition, but you need a cool head that can drum up the right numbers.

Digits that caught my eye from Celcom's press statement today : 10.6 million Malaysians subscribing to Celcom alone, with robust growth observed in prepaid, especially in the Youth segment. Without doubt the mobile phone is going to become a very, very crucial means for reaching out to young voters in PRU13.

Malaysia-Indonesia and the dude formerly known as Black in Korea

My latest column in The Malay Mail [The bullying must stop] deals with Malaysia-Indonesia ties in the context of the faeces attack on our embassy in Jakarta. Again, must commend Foreign Minister Anifah Aman for his tough stand. I wish more of our politicians will speak out. Anwar Ibrahim, the Opposition leader, for example. He hasn't come out to condemn the latest anti-Malaysia demonstration. Anwar has close ties with various groups in Indonesia, so perhaps he does not wish to jeopardize the good relationship. Understood.

In any case, it's Anifah vs Anwar on Oct 19, a RM100 million suit taken by Anwar after Anifah's revelation of an offer of a Deputy Prime Minister post if he would cross over for Anwar's 16 Sept 2008 dream.

The blogosphere touches on the Malaysia-Indonesia ties extensively, but Amin Iskandar's simple posting ["Sebenarnya, Malaysia dan Indonesia berkongsi banyak persamaan baik dari segi sejarah mahupun budaya. Malahan, bahasanya juga lebih-kurang sama".] sums things up. You may remember Amin as the Black in Korea blogger. Check our his blog, now in Bahasa Malaysia, here.

The Malay Voter: What he thinks of politicians, of BN and PR, and of PRU13, etc

A blogger's survey. Nobisha's on-line survey involves 1,383 Malay respondents, interesting since a lot of surveys are happy with a smaller sample size. Some 70 per cent of Nobisha's respondents are below 40, eight out of 10 are male and more than half have obtained degrees.

The findings are even more interesting.

Do these Malay voters think their MPs, both from Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat, are doing their job?
YES             23.8%
UNSURE     24.6%
NO               51.6%

Have UMNO's reforms improved the party?
YES             35.9%
UNSURE     20.4%
NO               43.7%

Has PR fulfilled their expectations?
YES              24%
UNSURE      27.9%
NO                48.1%

Who do they think will form the next government after PRU13, BN or PR?

 Find out H E R E. 

In Malaysia, the first missile is fired from its submarine

Potent fire power. Photographs the papers would kill for. A major scoop from the Big Dog. 
[oops, NST published the story and 2 of the pics on Aug 21, see here. Sorry Dog]

Proof that the submarine does not just dive ...

Remember, one submarine equals the strength of 10 war ships.
Get the action H E R E.

The bastardization of the American Dream

Ah, bukan saja NEP atau DEB yang sudah menjadi bangsat. The bastardization of the American Dream (Time.com, 17 Aug 2008)) tells of how the American Dream, which was all about the pursuit of happiness in a life in an America full of equal opportunities for everyone, has been reduced to the pursuit of home ownership.

PARTI Pribumi Perkasa Negara?

3rd force come PRU13? The thought came to mind today. With nearly 200,000 members, Perkasa is becoming a force to be reckoned with. It's big, its bold, and to some, it's bad.

Contrary to claims that Umno=Perkasa, the fact is Perkasa will  actually work against Umno's interest if it becomes a political party. Many of Perkasa's members are members of Umno and quite a number are clever Malays, mostly urban, who don't wish to join Umno (and who certainly don't trust Anwar Ibrahim and the PKR/PAS that he lead). Many joined the NGO during Tun Dol's time because Tun Dol's UMNO was incompetent and impotent. The fact that Dr Mahathir Mohamad has associated himself with Perkasa is a big draw for many, especially the young Malays.

I'd rather Perkasa remain as a pressure group but in politically super-charged Malaysia, I can't rule out Perkasa entering the fray and growing into a  significant force in the next general election. Perkasa is unpopular with some groups of people only because it is extremely popular with other groups of people, as the size - and quality - of its membership would testify. It will split the Malays further but perhaps that's just what the Malays need  - they need to be fragmented before they realise the need to stick together for their survival.

Lots of ifs and maybes at this point of time.  But what's clear is even a minnow (compared with Perkasa) like People's Parliament, originally set up to help Netizens get to know their MPs and other noble goals, are rolling their sleeves to pursue their real political ambitions. Read Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Rakyat must join forces: Kuburkan BN!

Such dreams. But I was thinking today that If Perkasa becomes a political party and somehow joins PKR, DAP and PAS in Pakatan Rakyat, then that possibility - the end of BN - will become so, very real.

Najib Razak's Umno/BN have some serious re-strategizing to do even as the people in Perkasa decides on their next BIG move.

Sin Chew and Nut Graph

"... the Malays can still get plugged to the world so long as they are willing to deliver themselves out of the "kampung mentality" cocoon." - Tay Tian Yan, Sin Chew journalist and author

Read the editorial by the Sin Chew's No 2 editorial boss h e r e.
Isn't this as racist as some politicians calling other races "pendatangs" and recalling that some of them had come here as prostitutes and beggars?
And you still think Utusan Malaysia is the racist paper?

There is a reason why we journalists take extra care when we discuss matters such as race. Excerpts from a fellow journo on my earlier posting here:

3. Let me remind Tay just in case he has forgotten or does not know that it was the kampung people who rose to support Malay nationalism that freed this land from the shackle of colonialism and, gave Tay's forefathers the MALAYAN CITIZENSHIP!

4. That was at the time when Tay's forefathers were either fighting for the Kuomintang or the Chinese Communist Party.

5. Tay's "kampung mentality" sounded familiar. The Chinese and Indian rioters in Kuala Lumpur on May 13, 1969 shouted to the Malays to "balik kampung."

In Slanted and Misleading reporting par excellence, the Nutty View, Shamsul Yunos is also on attack mode against fellow journalists at Nut Graph for resorting to "lowdown reporting" to get funding.