KOTA KINABALU: Momentum is slowly growing to support a state leader's push for the federal government to reverse its ban on the use of large parabolic satellite dishes.
Since a low key launch of the website http://freedom2info.com by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai on Wednesday, a steady stream of surfers have thrown their support for a reversal of the policy of use of satellite dish.
“The response has been good and many people say the ban has hampered the country's growth in information technology,” he said on Saturday.
“The poll is open for all Malaysians and not confined to views of people in Sabah only. We hope people in the peninsular and Sarawak will also participate in the online poll,” he said.
The petition, Dr Yee said, was aimed at getting public views on whether the ban on use of large satellite dishes needed to be changed as the ban restricted the freedom information and was “monopolistic”.
The online petition allows people to vote ``in support or against or take a neutral stand'' on the use of large parabolic satellite dishes. Public can also give their reasons to support a change or maintain the policy that bans large dishes.
Dr Yee, who is state Resource Development and Information Technology Minister, kicked off the online petition following a recent move by the Customs Department to confiscate some 183 parabolic dishes worth RM200,000.
The move sparked a public outcry in the state as parabolic satellite dishes, though illegal, are widely used in interior areas of Sabah (and also Sarawak).
Dr Yee said the move to lift the ban would signify the importance of freedom to access information including from the use parabolic dishes.
Results of the online petition would be forwarded to the relevant authorities for a new national policy to formulate on the use of satellite dishes. - Star
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.