Good blogs, bad blogs

While I was on strike ... The PM hits out at bloggers for the country's current political tragedy. The Sun called me for my comments, and I said my piece (see the article below or click here to read the online version). I am a big critic of Mr Badawi. In my posting to announce my 48-hour strike in protest against what was being allowed to happen in the political sphere, I wrote: "I blame one man for our woes. I blame the Prime Minister". [Read? Malaysian Bloggers go on strike]. I still blame him for the current situation. Abdullah hits out at slander and lies spread in cyberspace PUTRAJAYA (July 7, 2008) : Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yesterday labelled as treacherous, the deliberate attempts to create perceptions of uneasiness and distrust among the people, via the Internet and SMS. "Conduct attribute to the truth is not appreciated. What is appreciated is the perception, and along with it the lies. Perception negates the truth. The truth is no longer talked about. The important thing is the perception" He said these attempts, undertaken through Internet blogs, YouTube and SMS, had blemished the principles of the Rukunegara such as loyalty to King and country, upholding the Constitution, the rule of law, good behaviour and morality. "All the slander and lies spread through the blogs and YouTube do not contribute to ease and confidence in the people," Bernama quoted him as saying at the monthly assembly of his department staff. "There is no more regard for statements of truth in law. Little attention is given to (one's) demeanour in life. The sovereignty of the Rulers is turned into an issue." A stern-looking Abdullah said not all of the people believed in the negative perceptions created but it was portrayed that more people had become trapped in that situation. "Conduct attributed to the truth is not appreciated. What is appreciated is the perception, and along with it the lies. Perception negates the truth. The truth is no longer talked about. The important thing is the perception," Bernama quoted him as saying. Abdullah said perceptions had influenced the attitudes and options of some people in decision-making, including those related to investment and business. He said it must be rectified but, unfortunately, it had become a subject which the people were most interested in, so much so that it had become word of mouth and they resorted to exaggeration. "The people must be appeased so as not to have any fear of a possible shortage of food. They must be pacified so as not to have any worry over their own safety and that of their families," he said. He said the people had given the government a new mandate to administer the country and they "must have confidence in our efforts". The government, he added, had adopted and would take measures to reduce the financial burden of the people arising from the increase in fuel prices which had caused them some restlessness. Abdullah urged enforcement authorities to be firm in maintaining peace and security. "Let's stop doing what is undesirable. The people must exercise a high sense of responsibility. Our priority must be to maintain peace." In an immediate reaction, National Bloggers Alliance pro tem president and National Press Club adviser Ahirudin Attan, who blogs as Rocky's Bru, urged Abdullah and other leaders to look at the positive side of blogging. "Labelling blogs as something negative is going back to the stone-age, because we have been through this before," he said. He said if blogs make slanderous or defamatory accusations, the government or authority should address these allegations and take action. Ahirudin cited the example of Malaysia-Today blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin’s (RPK) recent statutory declaration on the Altantuya murder, adding that the declaration had been online for about two weeks now and the police had questioned RPK several times. “If there is something to charge him with, go ahead and charge him,” he said, adding that he was sued by The New Straits Times for defamation early last year. “The situation we are in now is also partly contributed by the authorities. It is compounded by the inability of the authorities to enforce the law,” he said. Ahirudin said the government should not accuse bloggers of attempting to create negative perceptions through their postings, but should instead act on slanderous and defamatory accusations. “Just like there are good cops and bad cops, good politicians and bad politicians, there are good blogs and bad blogs,” said Ahirudin. Ahiruddin, the former editor of the Malay Mail, said that politicians were to blame as well “because they are the ones who give out statements”. A blog is just a medium for discussing issues affecting the people, adding that the traditional media were also reporting the same thing, said Ahirudin whose blog shut down for 48 hours over the weekend in protest against the political mud-slinging over the Altantuya Shaariibuu and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim sodomy cases. He said there were more important things to focus on, adding that he was fed-up with what was happening. Datuk Marina Mahathir also shut down her blog, RantingsbyMM for the same reasons.