Howsy asked whether Malaysiakini, which has been the principal news conduit for Dr Mahathir’s statements lately, would become the first casualty of PM AAB’s crackdown on the Internet world.
If we recall, AAB had started off by advising the mainstream media not to ape the blogging world because they (mainstream media) should set the example by providing reliable news. What was he implying about the non-mainstream Internet news?
Then his Info-Minister Zainuddin Maidin stepped in to warn of a possible Internet censorship, which was followed by Deputy Internal Security Minister Fu Ah Kiow wanting to use the draconian Printing Presses and Publications Act to cover the Internet.
Then today, the Star Online publishes a warning that bloggers better watch out! The Star reported: “The Prime Minister has issued a warning – those who spread untruths and slander on the Internet will face the law.
If information in blogs, websites and online portals were incorrect, bordered on slander, caused disturbance or compelled the public to lose faith in the nation’s economic policies, their authors would be detained for investigation, said Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
“We cannot allow such matters to flow through uncontrolled,” he told newsmen.”
Obviously these various but incremental dire warnings by the government have been against Internet news portal and bloggers.
I believe the government has begun tightening up news outlets to silence or embargo statements by Dr Mahathir, after AAB has failed with the tactic of ‘elegant’ silence. Mainstream media have been blanking out any damaging statements by the former PM, so Dr Mahathir has resorted to the Internet media like Malaysiakini and even blogsites. There are a number of the latter supporting him.
Additionally, as part of the news blackout on Dr Mahathir, UMNO top leaders warned the party’s divisions not to invite Mahathir to address their divisional openings, on the excuse that there has been no such precedence for anyone who is not an UMNO council member or cabinet minister.
But Zahidi Zainul Abidin, UMNO Padang Besar division head, whom I had blogged in UMNO Div told Mahathir's persona non grata as insisting on inviting Dr Mahathir, was threatened with disciplinary actions if he persisted. So poor Zahidi has backed off by withdrawing the invitation to the former PM.
But he couldn’t resist having the last shot. He virtually demolished the claim of ‘only council members or UMNO cabinet ministers’ rule as sheer bullsh*t by pointing out that former deputy PM Musa Hitam was given the honour of opening UMNO meetings even though he had already left the Cabinet.
Then he added extra power to his demolition process by drawing on other examples such as heads of Barisan Nasional component parties being given the honour to open UMNO meetings in the past, which had included Samy Vellu, Chong Kah Kiat (Sabah’s Liberal Democratic Party) and Dr Lim Keng Yaik.
But meetings by themselves are still not as efficient as the world-wide-web for disseminating what Dr Mahathir wants revealed. Take as an example my previous posting Khairy Jamaluddin's Millions & Power, where the ole man lambasted AAB’s son-in-law for allegedly misusing his relationship with the PM to order States’ menteri-2 besar (States premiers) around. This scandalous and damaging exposure was published by Malaysiakini.
I am inclined to agree with Howsy that Malaysiakini could well be the chook offered as a sacrifice to the angry God of Silence to frighten the Internet monkeys - an example of what can happen to those who don’t keep their mouths shut about AAB and his son-in-law.
Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang advised AAB against his current crackdown on Internet freedom. Lim wants AAB to fully consult all political parties and the civil society before ‘out Mahathiring Mahathir’.
Lim was drawing AAB's attention to Mahathir being the more draconian suppressor of press freedom. Was he playing to AAB's ego - an effort at reverse psychology?
Lim said an AAB’s blitz against the internet could mark the ‘death knell’ for the prime minister’s reform pledges - 'reform pledges' being another play on AAB's conceit or honour.
Lim asked: “Has Abdullah’s position become so weakened from recent developments, particularly the challenge mounted by his predecessor Dr Mahathir, that he has so easily succumbed to the hardline proposals of [Info-Minister] Zainuddin?”
But I reckon AAB has lost confidence in his ability to handle Dr Mahathir's very damaging accusations of him, his son-in-law and his son. No doubt he's receiving very bad advice from the people surrounding him, but he obviously wants to see such Mahathir's radioactive revelations neutralised, A-S-A-P.
What next? Is George Orwell's Big Brother here in full force now?
Gendang dan gong sudah dipalu. Kedua-dua team bersahut-sahutan, ingin memastikan suara mereka yang paling nyaring. But i saw ripples coming outward from the epicentre and its getting closer to the shore. Mampukah pantai menahan badai.
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