DAP: MCMC can't understand a joke?

The DAP said today it is appalled by the prosecution of a blogger for writing a satirical piece on national utility company Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB).

Party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said the move was "not only harsh but ridiculous".

"Does this mean a satire or a joke is now illegal in Malaysia? What has become of our country?" he asked in a statement today.

Lim (right) was commenting on the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission's (MCMC)court action against Irwan Abdul Rahman for his article titled "TNB to sue WWF over Earth Hour", written under his pen-name Hassan Skodeng.

Irwan's posting on March 25 humorously depicted TNB president and chief executive officer Che Khalid Mohd Noh as saying the Earth Hour campaign was hurting his company's coffers and that campaign organisers World Wide Fund for Nature were "green terrorists".

He was charged in a Petaling Jaya sessions court this morning, under Section 233 (1) (a) of the MCMC Act 1998, for "improper use of network facilities... by making... any content that is obscene, indecent, false, menacing or offensive in characters with malicious intent".

Lim: Remember Pak Sako?

If found guilty, Irwan (bottom left), who is executive editor of the lifestyle and entertainment section of The Malay Mail, faces a jail term of one year, or a fine of up to RM50,000 or both if found guilty.

Arguing that the satire was completely acceptable, Lim said famed national laureate and nationalist Ishak Muhammad, better known as Pak Sako, was also highly respected for his satirical works that were heavily inclined towards national independence.

He also quoted famous English satirist Jonathan Swift, who once said: "Satire is sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own."

In another development, Gerakan's National Unity Bureau chief Asharuddin Ahmad has urged the authorities not to stop the screening of locally produced film Gadoh.

Asharuddin urged the authorities to be more open-minded about the film and not to frustrate the development of local creative talents and industries.

"In line with the 1Malaysia concept, the government should encourage and promote locally-made movies with positive messages such as muhibah and unity," he said in a statement.

The screening of the film, which is yet to be approved by the Home Ministry, at the Malacca Chinese Assembly Hall yesterday was abruptly halted by the police.

Produced by the NGO Komas, the film depicts racial conflict among school students, with an underlying message on the need for better race relations.

courtesy of Malaysiakini