Stifling online press: ‘A useless move’

In this last week of 2011, we will be re-publishing selected stories carried in FMT throughout this year. We find that these stories still remain relevant in the present context.

FLASHBACK 2011

EDITOR’S NOTE: In early December, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation circulated the draft Computing Professionals Bill 2011 (CPB) for “consultation”. The bill attempts to regulate all computing services, including the setting up of blogs and news portals. Even the use of Facebook and Twitter accounts can be covered under “computing services”. The draft bill has come under intense objection from various quarters, prompting the ministry to say that the registration is not mandatory. The story below was first published in Jan 26, 2011 and continues to remain relevant in view of the latest development.

KUALA LUMPUR: Several Umno leaders today joined forces with their rivals Pakatan Rakyat in criticising a proposal to regulate online media content, describing the move as “useless”.

Pulai MP Nur Jazlan Mohamed said that it was better to counter the “negative elements” in the Internet as well as voters via a strong online government campaign.

“It’s a silly thing to do,” said Nur Jazlan. “Unless we have jurisdiction to control the content outside of the country, the law would be redundant.”

Nur Jazlan, the Pulai MP, is the son of the late Mohamed Rahmat, an Umno veteran and former information minister.

The news that the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 (PPPA) will be amended soon to expand its scope to include online media content was reported by Bernama yesterday.

Home Ministry secretary-general Mahmood Adam said his ministry was looking to redefine the word “publication” to include Internet content, blogs and social network services.

The proposed amendments, he added, would be tabled in Parliament by March this year.

The Facebook and Twitter “revolutions” have given politicians from both sides ample space to disseminate information and campaign without having to rely on traditional media.

“So does this mean they are going to clamp down on them as well?” asked Nur Jazlan.

Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin was dead set against the move. “It’s ridiculous. We should be moving towards greater freedom,” said the Rembau MP.

Discourse in media freedom shifting

The idea of regulating online content in Malaysia is not new. It has been ongoing since the mushrooming of blogs and online news portals critical of the BN government.

Attempts to curtail its influential growth started with then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad who made a similar proposal to the Home Ministry today.

Recently, Information, Communications and Culture Minister Rais Yatim floated the idea of the “Green Dam”, following China’s footsteps in controlling dissidence in the online realm.

The move was purportedly to curb alleged “spreading of lies” and “libellous contents”, but the general public perception was that it was aimed at crushing dissent.

Public and international pressure forced the government to abandon the idea.

Like his Umno peers, former Selangor menteri besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo said it was not necessary to regulate online media content but stressed the need to strengthen existing law, chiefly the Sedition Act, to crack down on “rumour mongers”.

“It is also impossible to regulate. The future of media is in the likes of Facebook and Twitter. You can’t regulate these things,” he said.

The discourse on media freedom in Malaysia has seen a drastic shift in recent years.

In the past leaders in the ruling coalition would have agreed to such a move in a whiff, but now they agree that free competition of ideologies would help restore Malaysia’s democratic image in the international arena.

However, Pakatan leaders like PKR vice-president Chua Tian Chang and the DAP’s Seputeh MP Teresa Kok remain convinced that nothing has changed with BN.

They said that the move to amend the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 was “another measure to further stiffle the voice of the people and tighten government control”.