Former journalist, NST columnist, and TV9 program host, Shamsul Akmar wrote in a letter to the editor of Utusan with regard to the Rais-Rocky affair. His piece, Jernihkan kekeruhan dengan blogger was published on Friday.
Journalists and bloggers are talking of rumour emanating from Jalan Chan Sow Lin that Dato Seri Utama Dato Dr Rais Yatim called the Editor and was furious with Utusan Malaysia for publishing the letter.
If there is any truth to this talk and rumour, it is certainly sad that the Minister in charge of Information, Communications and Culture is stuck in old school mindset.
It affirms suspicion of bloggers who attended "Salam Persahabatan" dinner in April 2009 and destroyed efforts by PM and DPM to create trust between bloggers and Government.
At the start of Rais's second tenure as Information Minister, he invited pro-UMNO bloggers for dinner. But he left a bad taste by dwelling his "Salam Persahabatan" speech on the various Acts that could put bloggers in trouble with the law.
That was seen as a disguised threat. Now it seems he is realising what he set out to do. It is to return to the archaic and suppressive ways.
In fact, in the 18th Plenipotentiary Session of the ITU in Guadalajara on October 8th, Rais submitted an "Internet clampdown" proposal guise under addressing child pornography, and preserving community cultural values.
His present hypersensitivity and vindictiveness to insist on pursuing after a blogger, based on his refusal to accept the piece written with his name on is not an accusation, shows he is coming after bloggers.
His pursuit is seemed more serious. With the barrage of critics and slanders by irresponsible bloggers towards PM and DPM, Rais seem to above them both. It is as though he is untouchable.
Is this what Dato Najib set him out to do by sending him back to the Ministry of Information with an added portfolio of developing the ICT?
By this, he has lost any credibility to speak at an UMNO NGO organised two day conference entitled "The creation of a global citizen: Media liberalisation and the new realities" to begin tomorrow.
If he had tried to suppress Utusan Malaysia, it shows he doesn't understand what a liberalised media and the realities are. He is stuck in his suppressive feudelistic kampung ways.
There is a saying that you can take a Malay out of a kampung but not take the kampung out a Malay.
There are more good sides of kampung Malay but unfortunately one negative trait of some kampung Malay is the tendency to be easily irritable and emotional, refusal to be rationale, and oversensitive.
All this over some weird notion they claimed as tradition. Something like Rais's notion of family honour rest with the son.
At times, these kind of folks can be very vindictive.
They would typically go the extent of viewing any criticism or disagreement or contrary views as attempt to bring down someone. Maybe it is not Malay but only found within UMNO Jelebu. Read latest from Rocky here.
Utusan Malaysia published a reply letter to Shamsul Akmar's letter entitled Berani kerana benar on Saturday. If that is the argument set forth, it is probably a country bumpkin from Rais's Kg Gagu.
The letter is as below:
Berani kerana benar…Before reading what bigdog had replied, read Shamsul Akmar's original letter below:
TULISAN Syamsul Akmar (Kuala Lumpur) di ruang pendapat akhbar Utusan Malaysia pada 15 Oktober 2010 (Jumaat) bertajuk Jernihkan kekeruhan dengan blogger telah menarik perhatian saya dan menyimpulkan pendapat tersebut sebagai sinis, berat sebelah dan kurang arif mengenai sistem perundangan negara ini.
Membuat laporan polis adalah langkah terbaik bagi menentukan kesahihan sesuatu dakwaan daripada terus mempolimikkannya di dalam blog dan akhbar kerana ia takkan ada penyudahnya.
Berani kerana benar, takut kerana salah. Tak semua orang yang berani membuat laporan polis, melainkan dia benar-benar yakin bahawa dirinya di pihak yang benar.
Mengambil langkah menggunakan saluran polis untuk menyiasat sesuatu perkara tidak wajar disindir, malah patut dihargai kerana ia adalah saluran yang betul di bawah sistem perundangan negara.
Saudara Syamsul sepatutnya membiarkan pihak berkuasa menjalankan tanggungjawabnya bagi menentukan yang mana benar dan yang mana salah.
Menyindir seseorang yang menggunakan saluran yang betul bermakna Syamsul jelas menyokong perbuatan putar belit segelintir blogger yang kurang beretika dalam menyampaikan maklumat.
Adalah sangat tidak adil mengeluarkan kata-kata sinis kepada seseorang yang ingin membersihkan dirinya.
Syamsul Akmar sewajarnya menyokong tindakan Rais dalam hal ini.
ABDUL HAQ
Kuala Lumpur
Jernihkan kekeruhan dengan bloggerNow go to Bigdog's critic of the letter allegedly coming from Rais's country bumpkin in here.
KEPUTUSAN Datuk Seri Utama Rais Yatim membuat laporan kepada polis dan juga Suruhanjaya Komunikasi dan Multimedia Malaysia (SKMM) supaya tindakan diambil ke atas blogger ternama Ahiruddin Atan atau lebih dikenali sebagai Rocky's Bru, memperlihatkan kegusaran Rais.
Bukan sahaja Rocky menjadi sasaran kegusaran Rais, seorang lagi blogger Zakhir Mohamad serta pengendali blog Taikor and Taikun tidak terkecuali.
Kemarahan Rais timbul daripada laporan mereka yang menyatakan terdapat cakap-cakap yang anaknya mendapat kontrak satu projek yang dikendalikan oleh kementeriannya.
Memang Rais berhak merasa kecil hati jika laporan itu tidak benar. Ini berkaitan dengan kredibilitinya.
Tetapi cara mana marah itu mahu disalurkan juga tidak kurang pentingnya kerana Rais seorang Menteri dari UMNO dan jurublog-jurublog yang menyakitkan hatinya terdiri daripada mereka yang bersimpati dengan UMNO dan kepimpinan Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
Adalah menyedihkan bagi seorang menteri yang memegang portfolio penerangan terpaksa menggunakan saluran undang-undang untuk menebus kredibilitinya, sedangkan dia diharapkan berkemampuan menangani seribu satu kecaman dan kritikan melalui saluran penerangan.
Tindakan Rais menggunakan saluran undang-undang dalam menangani kritikan atau kecaman, menimbulkan persoalan.
Yang lebih membingungkan ialah ketangkasan SKMM untuk bertindak ke atas jurublog-jurublog ini yang "kesalahan" mereka hanyalah berkongsi dengan umum tentang apa yang sedang diperkatakan mengenai anak Rais.
Apa yang ditulis oleh jurublog-jurublog itu amat mudah untuk disanggah oleh Rais sendiri. Beliau hanya perlu memperlihatkan dokumen kontrak yang dipertikaikan dan jika anaknya tidak terbabit, Rais akan keluar dengan berbau harum.
Adakah SKMM hanya akan bertindak dengan tangkas terhadap jurublog-jurublog yang selama ini mempertahankan kepentingan Melayu?
Tetapi apabila berhadapan dengan anasir-anasir perkauman seperti Namewee, Kathy Lim serta pemimpin-pemimpin pertubuhan haram Hindraf yang secara terbuka memaki hamun Melayu dan menghina Islam, SKMM tidak mampu bertindak pantas dan tegas?
Apakah cuma nama Rais yang perlu dipertahankan sedangkan agama Islam, bangsa Melayu serta maruah kepimpinan UMNO boleh dihina dan dikeji sesuka hati tanpa perlu laporan polis dan tindakan daripada SKMM?
Jika ada tindakan diambil sekalipun, ia lesu dan lembab sedangkan SKMM pasti sedar bagaimana marahnya orang Melayu terhadap blog-blog serta portal berita yang saban hari menghina Melayu dan mengeji Islam, jika tidak melalui berita, melalui komen-komen yang dikeluarkan.
Kerana itu, tindakan Rais dan SKMM terhadap Rocky dan jurublog-jurublog lain di atas isu ini tidak harus berlaku. Bagaimanapun ia telah terjadi dan Rais serta SKMM harus mencari jalan menyelesaikannya dan menjernihkan kekeruhan tersebut.
Jika tidak banyak lagi 'jambatan' yang akan terbakar dan Rais tidak akan mampu memadamkannya.
SHAMSUL AKMAR
Kuala Lumpur
The "berani kerana benar" Rais should make an MACC report.
Rais does not get it that the culture of the new media has no appreciation and at times have no respect for oppressive laws that curb freedom of information, speech and press.
They only appreciate and respect openness, and transparency.
Some participants, particularly now among opposition supporters and politically chauvanistic Chinese, maybe showing trend of closing their mind and unwilling to accept argument that do not favour them.
But generally sensible Internet crowd respect a good debate or intellectual discourse.
Is Rais still caught in that time warp but guising as preserving culture and tradition? If he didn't, there wouldn't have arised such talk of Rais fuming at the Utusan Malaysia Editor.
Apalah Najib simpan lagi dinosuar macam ini?
Today's voters do not appreciate such archaic attitude. This should not be the Model Politik Baru Dato Najib is pursuing.
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