Frustrated netizens tell PM to 'diam lah!'

Netizens are venting their frustrations on the various conflicting statements and actions of the government of late by posting the comment "diam lah", Malay for "shut up!", on the Facebook page of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

A netizen started the ball rolling shortly after midnight yesterday, with the initial “diam lah!” comment in response to a posting by operators of the PM's page about Najib's latest blog posting touching on leadership and peace in the country.

Upstaging the first poster, others then spelt out the same in huge letters on the comment wall of the PM's official page.

Similar “diam lah” postings also appeared in comments to postings on the page in normal type.

However, pro-government netizens mounted their own offensive to try and mute the “diam lah” brigade, coming out with their own tirade against Pakatan Rakyat. But, as yet, their responses have failed to match the vigour of their opponents.

As at the time of writing, postings telling the PM to shut up were continuing unabated, the last posting in huge block letters uploaded just five minutes ago.

'Diam lar!' page set up

Concurrently, after the initial posting, a 'Diam lar!' page was set up, with nearly 3,000 netizens liking the page almost at once.

As at press time, the page boasted 6,235 likes, with many of those saying so being the ones keeping up the relentless “diam lah” postings on Najib's page.

The situation even warranted a pro-Najib user to ask if the page administrators would consider closing the comment wall on Najib's page to spare him the embarrassment.

One pro-BN user also hit out at Pakatan Rakyat supporters, whom he assumed to be behind the “diam lah” raid on his beloved PM, saying that this wass the intellectual level of the opposition's understanding of freedom of expression.

A healthy and creative argument continues to rage between pro-Najib netizens and the “diam lah” brigade in multiple postings on his comment wall.

This is not the first Facebook-based civil society initiative venting the rakyat's frustrations at the BN-led federal government and Najib.

Initiatives ranged from the group against the 100-storey Warisan Merdeka Tower to the latest page calling for Najib to resign, which garnered the support of 200,000 Facebook users in record time.

Just last week, future studies scholar and political commentator Abu Hassan Abdullah warned that that new media could pave the way for a citizen led-revolution, giving them the means to stage, organise and realise their “indictments of autocratic and corrupt regimes”.

While no large-scale social media based revolution a la the 'Arab Uprising' is yet evident on Malaysian shores, initiatives like the “diam lah” campaign hint at widespread dissent against the Najib regime. A foreboding that may signal that Abu Hassan's warnings have some basis. - Malaysiakini