Monday, March 24, 2008

Blogger-friendly government now?

PM: Govt to change approach towards new media/bloggers. Yesterday morning, veteran blogger Pak Idrus met the PM at Seri Perdana. For nearly an hour, the old friends spoke. The PM brought up the subject of the new media, especially the role of blogging during the General Election. Pak Idrus told Pak Lah that the Government had nothing good to say about bloggers in the past. The PM said this was about to change.

If that is so, can we expect Nazri Aziz, Azalina Othman Said, Shahziman Abu Mansor, Muhammad Muhammad Taib to make their U-turns on bloggers soon. They have said some nasty stuff about bloggers. Muhammad even lodged a police report against RPK.

Read Pak Idrus's Of friendship and Pak Lah.

22 comments:

  1. Anonymous3:48 pm

    Muhammad Son of Muhammad cannot blog Rocky! Most web portals are in English. And shhhhhhssshs, he cannot understand them!

    Probably, he ll get someone to do it for him.... dia kan banyak duit (check his asset declaration)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous3:56 pm

    It's the same old game all over again. It's people like you and Pak Idrus who are dying for recognition by the BN, Pak Lah and his cronies. It's not about freedom of expression after all. It's all about downing the free beer and free food that these corrupt leaders can dish out. You all are the same. You have a price and can be bought. Hell with you people. Thank God not all bloggers are corrupt, power hungry and stupid. Pak Lah spoke a few good words about bloggers and pea-brained bloggers like Pak Derus and you fell all over his feet. When you are too busy kissing Pak Lah's feet, Khairy will kick you guys in the groin. Hypocrites.

    FreeThinker

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  3. Sorry those are not real pictures they are all doctored!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous4:23 pm

    I have covered this subject on my blog too. Please follow the link provided down below to read it.

    Malay Women in Malaysia

    ReplyDelete
  5. i think desperate people calls for desperate measures, there's no turning back for them now, it's their time to catch up with us, but good to know that blogging finally gets into positive lightings now

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous4:37 pm

    Can we get Zaid Ibrahim to make an apology in the media on behalf of those recalcitrants?

    Push for it man, bro!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous5:04 pm

    Menghayati maksud raja berperlembagaan

    Oleh ADAM KADIR

    DALAM tahun 1980, Sultan Azlan Shah, ketika itu Ketua Hakim Negara,
    telah mengingatkan bahawa `mahkota' akan hanya mendapat tempat di
    muzium kalau institusi raja terkandas dalam menjalankan tugasnya yang
    sebenar. Seri Paduka Baginda melunaskan pendapat itu dalam titah
    ucapan di Universiti Sains Malaysia, Pulau Pinang.

    Baru-baru ini Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah, putera baginda yang juga Raja
    Muda Perak, sekali lagi menekankan dalam nada yang seakan-akan sama,
    bahawa banyak berlaku dalam sejarah, institusi raja tumpas apabila ia
    tidak direstui oleh rakyat.

    Dalam senario tindakan rakyat, tidak ada yang lebih penting daripada
    melakukan pemilihan wakil rakyat dan kerajaan rakyat dalam pilihan
    raya.

    Inilah aktiviti kemuncak dalam amalan demokrasi. Apabila rakyat telah
    membuat pilihan, maka pilihan itulah yang menjadi restu rakyat. Tidak
    ada pihak sewajarnya menafikan restu mereka.

    Memandangkan institusi raja di Malaysia kini diasaskan pada institusi
    Raja Berperlembagaan seperti yang diamalkan di Wesminster, London,
    maka apa yang berlaku kepada institusi ini di United Kingdom (UK)
    adalah amat relevan untuk dihayati.

    Dalam sejarah Raja Berperlembagaan di UK, tidak pernah berlaku
    sebarang pelantikan yang dibuat oleh parti yang menang dalam pilihan
    raya dinafikan oleh raja, baik bergelar king mahupun queen. Raja
    Berperlembagaan di UK telah banyak melalui pengalaman yang luas dalam
    sejarah.

    Antara episod terpenting dalam sejarah institusi raja UK berlaku pada
    tahun 1587 apabila Queen Mary dihukum pancung kepala dan tahun 1649
    apabila Oliver Cromwell menjadi Lord Protector setelah King Charles I
    juga mengalami nasib yang sama.

    Menurut Richard Buskin, pengarang buku British Royalty, sebab utama
    pemberontakan Cromwell yang disokong oleh 15,000 orang soldadu ialah
    semaraknya kemarahan rakyat akibat keengganan King Charles I
    mengadakan persidangan Parlimen kerana bimbang akan terjejasnya kuasa.

    Republik

    Kemangkatan Charles I menamatkan institusi raja untuk satu jangka
    waktu. Sungguhpun Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell pada hakikatnya
    merupakan seorang presiden yang mengetuai sebuah republik bernama
    Britain, namun konsep republik ketika itu belum benar-benar timbul
    dan dihayati, apalagi untuk diamalkan secara menyeluruh.

    Oleh itu, keberkesanan pemerintahan Cromwell hanya bergantung semata-
    mata pada kekuatan peribadinya. Justeru pemerintahan baru yang
    dikemukakannya tidak menjadi satu alternatif teguh dan berkekalan.

    Dalam keadaan begitu, ketika fizikalnya menjadi lemah akibat usia,
    timbul penentangan sehingga akhirnya beliau terbunuh.

    Maka, tanpa pilihan lain, King Charles II diangkat ke takhta. Dengan
    itu kembalilah institusi raja di UK.

    Dunia mengetahui hanya kira-kira 100 tahun kemudian barulah konsep
    republik dihayati secara mendalam dan menyeluruh apabila anak jajahan
    UK di Amerika bangkit berperang dengan tentera King George III hingga
    mencapai kemerdekaan pada tahun 1776, dengan George Washington
    menjadi Presiden pertamanya.

    Tiga belas tahun kemudian, Perancis mengikut jejak langkah Amerika
    setelah King Louis XVI dipenggal kepala di bawah gallow. Kini sistem
    republik menjadi satu alternatif kepada sistem beraja. Jumlah negara
    republik di dunia adalah lebih banyak daripada jumlah negara beraja.

    Kemangkatan Charles I dan pulihnya institusi raja di bawah Charles II
    setelah Cromwell meninggal merupakan satu titik-tolak ke arah
    wujudnya institusi Raja Berperlembagaan seperti yang diamalkan dengan
    baik oleh Queen Elizabeth II sekarang ini.

    Menurut pakar undang-undang perlembagaan, institusi raja dan Parlimen
    UK (yang dirujuk sebagai induk kepada segala Parlimen dunia)
    merupakan sistem Raja Berperlembagaan yang `ideal' dan `realistik'
    yang harus diikuti sebagai contoh oleh dunia.

    Institusi raja di Jepun, Belanda, Sweden, Sepanyol, Norway dan
    Belgium adalah di kalangan yang mengamalkan sistem institusi raja UK.

    Dalam undang-undang perlembagaan European Union, apa yang
    dipentingkan dalam peruntukannya ialah `teleological' atau maksud
    asal di sebalik sebarang peruntukan. Apabila timbul keraguan dalam
    interpretasi sesuatu peruntukan, maka interpretasi akan dibuat
    menurut apa yang sebenarnya menjadi sebab mengapa peruntukan itu
    dibuat pada asalnya.

    Di UK, peruntukan mengatakan raja berhak melantik Perdana Menteri,
    sebagai contoh. Namun hak itu bergantung (`subjected to') kepada
    parti politik yang menang dalam pilihan raya.

    Di sinilah letaknya `semantics' (atau `pemerian') bahawa Perdana
    Menteri hendaklah terdiri daripada ahli (Parlimen atau badan
    perundangan yang serupa) yang mendapat keyakinan `majoriti' ahli-ahli
    Parlimen atau badan demikian.

    Di peringkat negeri di Malaysia, istilah `Perdana Menteri' dalam
    ungkapan di atas boleh digantikan dengan `Menteri Besar' atau `Ketua
    Menteri'.

    Pada realiti amalan politik, ketua parti relevan yang menang dalam
    pilihan raya berhak menamakan siapa menjadi Perdana Menteri, Menteri
    Besar dan Ketua Menteri.

    Menghayati dan menghormati segalanya itu membuatkan `constitutional
    monarchies' di Jepun dan beberapa buah negara di Eropah itu menjadi
    begitu stabil dan amat tinggi estemnya. Raja Berperlembagaan di
    Malaysia tentunya mampu selaras kalaupun tidak melebihi daripada itu.

    ~ dipetik daripada Utusan Malaysia ~

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous5:06 pm

    Bro,

    You left the monkey out of the list. How could you? Why Rocky?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous5:41 pm

    Is 'meeting' you and jeff in the court is considered part of the friendliness? :P

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous5:44 pm

    FOR 4 LONG YEARS HE SAID A LOT OF THINGS & MAKE TONS OF EMPTY PROMISES...

    ONCE A LIAR, ALWAYS A LIAR & IF HE TRULY WANT & ONLY WAY FOR HIM TO CHANGE... IS TO RESIGN.

    FROM THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF :
    "Even when liars tell the truth, they are never believed. The liar will lie once, twice, and then perish when he tells the truth."

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous5:56 pm

    hei pak lah, we are talking about blogging... you know?

    blogging... needs a lot of time, accountability, clear thinking, broad understanding, hard work & etc... so your ministers boleh ke?

    btw, do your people know it is different from just sticking their filthy hands into country cookies jars!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous6:32 pm

    more news between Monsoon cup and Royal household..
    http://www.desperadobn.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  13. rocky, thanks for linking my blog. It was a meeting of old friends from the seventies. Have a nice day.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous8:12 pm

    okay, so the gomen can start with:

    1) getting brendan and kali to come and apologise, saying they were too dumb before and less dumb now. that MUST be a front pager for a week.

    2) asking shaziman to buy himself a shot gun and give to one blogger to try to shoot him a.k.a sniper. he himself should try to run or avoid the bullets.

    3) that old outgoing gerakan monkey. whats his name? haaa.that one la. ask him to get to his knees and offer apology. considering he is quite old, we could do nothing more.

    4) nazri and koncho2? do nothing. just throw them to quebec or alaska. i heard canada give easy PR there. let them try to fight the polar bears

    after the 4, and maybe more sharat, we can talk lah.. lol

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous9:33 pm

    I do not understand why they should want to be friendly with bloggers and vice versa. All they need to do is to ensure that the MSM is free and fair in reporting news or opinions. Stop spinning and the people will not search for the truth elsewhere.
    Its a no brainer.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Don’t fall for the trap
    When BN leaders lose their power base
    They want to play catch up with bloggers
    I for one won’t agree

    Let the BN leaders and Ministers
    Bring in their blogs for us to read
    There we will see their true intentions
    Is it playing true and fair or otherwise?

    The bloggers got many names
    By the BN leaders before GE12
    Now BN leaders make a U-turn
    Suddenly they find wealth
    Disappearing into thin air

    And BN leaders want bloggers to help
    Bridging the divide and rule concept
    It has gone into history
    It is now a different ball game
    It is People’s Power
    They will decide the journey of this country

    Bloggers like snipers
    Hitting the targets hidden in the shadows
    Playing a role for the People’s Power
    Crafting into history
    BN leaders get whacked
    Now they want to catch the little rats
    Hiding in the dark holes…………
    Plotting for their fall from grace

    Bloggers have roles to play
    Molding the journey of the country
    Whispering into the cyber-world
    Where the action never falls asleep!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anon 3.56. You took the words out of my mouth.

    It is the same old, same old. We start feeling sorry, then we say he isn't that bad a person, then its lets bygones be bygones. And before you know it, its a hefty kick up our rears and its business as usual.

    Friend or no friend, I can't for the life of me understand that a person holding such high office and all the responsibility that comes with it, where being on top of things should be a critical given, had been so cut off from the reality on the ground. What was he doing all these years besides eating nasi kandar in Perth and yachting in the Mediterranean? What did he think his job entailed... wining and dining and feting family, cronies and sycophants? No need to understand the shifting sands impacting any serious and committed application of the practices of governance? That the country was his and his friends to use as they liked? That having become PM, everything and everyone becomes beholden to him? That he had to stop educating himself and applying himself intelligently to his responsibilities?

    Friends had to point out to him something that any techno-savvy 10 year old already knows. What a disgrace.

    And don't for one moment buy the 'we will change' or 'will look afresh at things.' As the Americans like to say: "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”

    And since Azalina has been mentioned. Guess she's off the hook re her promise to get to the bottom of the 1998 CW Games accounts and bring closure to them within, what was it, 6 weeks of taking office?

    We sure have short memories. Maybe its the euphoria of March 8 but the lines separating MSM and blogs seem to be getting blurrier by the day.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous2:14 am

    I think it's better to leave the relationship between bloggers and the govt. as it is.It'll be a waste of time. Let him do his job and bloggers do theirs. Unless and until we see changes in the mainstream papers and TV. Simple as that.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous8:39 am

    This Pak Idrus sounds like a man with good intention but he is a wee bit naive.

    The Melayu have too many people like this becoming community leader and usually extend up into organisation.

    They are usually in denial of fact and reality. And they are usually up there not from competency but just mere diplomacy.

    As a result one find such people perpetuate the psycho-cultural malaise of Malay race.

    Hey ... wait a minute. Am I talking abt Pak Idrus or Pak Lah?

    ReplyDelete
  20. There is no need to look for friendship with those in power. It is better to keep the relationship the way it is, so that you do not feel obliged to write in certain way, just the way MSM behave nowadays.
    Rocky, look at yourself, can you say with certainty that you can be so critical about TDM?
    I love your blog, I don't want you to lose your edge, and if it does, it will be one of my saddest days.
    What we should fight for, or what Pak Idrus should have asked for, from an old friend of the 70s, is to ensure freedom of press, and that include blogs, and for PM to convince Kali/NST to drop the ridiculous suits against you and Jeff Ooi.
    Really, we don't need PM or those ministers' friendship, they are not real, they are for sale.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Dear talking tongues,

    I appreciate your concern.

    From my own experience (as a journalist), it is possible to keep your contacts at arms' length - not close enough for your views to be clouded.

    If a government wants to engage, bloggers should engage them - at the same time keeping a healthy distance so that we can strike whenever the occassion arises.

    And I am talking not just about the BN govt. We have 5 governments under the DAP-PKR-PAS coalition. If I sit down for breakfast with Husam, or lunch with Guan Eng and dinner with DSAI, it doesn't mean I have sold my soul to them.

    In any case, we don't know yet how friendly the new govts of PKR, DAP and PAS are going to be.


    As for TDM, what he is doing for the nation now deserves my - and your - support. If he hadn't opened his big mouth to publicly lash out at Abdullah, Kalimullah, SIL, Patrick Badawi,
    the crooked bridge, Singapore and IDR,
    Among other things, we might not have the seismic activity needed to create the recent tsunami.

    When he was PM, TDM did some things which I was critical of. But I am not about to condemn him for those things after he has stepped down as PM. The likes of Kalimullah and his machai Brenden Pereira would do that.

    I think my blog - our blogs - can help shape the future, not by trying to change or condemn the past but by improving the present.

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  22. Dear Rocky,
    Please do not get me wrong, I am very sure you are not someone to sell your soul.
    From my own humble experience,I know it is sometimes hard to strike a balance or to be impartial,when we deal with people we are friendly with. But, what I have forgotten is the fact that, you are a real veteran in this line, you must have encountered this kind of conflict thousands of times and have since, found your cutting edge.
    Whatever it is, you have contributed so much to what majority of Malaysians are celebrating today, to which, I owe you a big thank you, and I wish to see you stay your course.

    ReplyDelete