Regulating portals would further delegitimise the gov't

Singapore has always frowned upon and ignored pressure groups. The republic’s government bulldozed policies through, curbed democratic space and was confident of winning elections, again and again.

Singapore’s social media changed all that. It jolted the government from its slumber. The republic’s social media turned silent dissent into visible protest, allowing for the political maturing of the Singaporean society.

And in 2011, it culminated in Singapore’s opposition winning 40 percent of the popular vote, for the first time. Although it occupies only 10 percent of seats in parliament, the election changed Singapore’s political landscape.

This is exactly what happened in Malaysia in 2008. The federal opposition denied ruling Barisan Nasional its two-third majority in Parliament, for the first time ever.

In May this year, the opposition clinched 51 percent of the popular votes at the general election, rattling Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and the Barisan Nasional coalition.

The government is still reeling from shock.

It now wants to regulate online news portals, although former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had said the Internet would not be censored when the Multimedia Super Corridor was set up in 1996.

Online news portals, social media and blogs are playing a crucial role in disseminating information and fortifying dissent in Malaysia.

Malaysians are becoming more vocal in demanding their rights and nothing is going to stop them from questioning government policies and stupid decisions like mulling the possibility of regulating online news portals.

I ask myself why, despite becoming rapidly irrelevant to the rakyat, the Barisan Nasonal government still does not get it. How would trying to curb effective communication of pertinent information help boost Barisan Nasional’s image? Why don’t Barisan Nasional leaders stop to think that this might actually alienate them even further?

Official regulatory attempts on online news portals threaten press freedom and impede the flow of information. The people have a right to information and it’s the role of the media to make that information readily available.

As it now stands, Malaysia’s track record is nothing to shout about. According to Reporters Without Borders, Malaysia fell 23 places down from the year 2012 to 145th this year in the 2013 Press Freedom Index.

Any further attempts to regulate online news portals would only serve to embarrass the government even further.

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CHARLES SANTIAGO is member of Parliament, Klang.