Friday, August 07, 2009

Censoring the Internet in Malaysia


Updates:
7/8 Najib: The Govt will not censor the Internet as such a move will be ineffective in a borderless world and lead to dissatisfaction among people/STAR

MCMC Clarifies filter study, click here

Original Post:
Rais Damn! Our Information Minister may or may not have been inspired by the Green Damn project of China [Malaysia plans internet filter, tougher controls by Reuters] but what he's doing is, in effect, the same as what the Chinese were tryign to do: censor the Internet.

We all know Rais' intentions are good. We are all against child porno. And yes, we shiver at the thought of our kids getting access to porno on the Net.

But is this "filter" thing the best way to do it?

I really don't think so. In fact, I think there will be a serious backlash on Rais and the Government. Najib's good record as far as media relations is concerned will be blemished big time. This Government will be accused of going back on its word to the world that it would not censor the Internet.

Rais should consider a more challenging role for his ministry and the government, and that is:

Firstly, CREATE AWARENESS among the Netizens about the ills of child pornography. A "Malaysian Parents Against Pornography" campaign would put to good use some of the budget under his Ministry and produce desirable results.

Secondly, the Ministry will EDUCATE the Netizens that they have the power on their fingertips to beat porno on the Net. Make available software and programmes to help parents create firewall against porno-net at home. Employers should be encouraged to also create similar firewalls at workplaces. The point is, let the Net users themselves implement their own "DAM" to stem the negative flow of porno on the Net.

And, thirdly, the Goverment can improve enforcement against porno on the Net and go after offenders. Porno is a crime in this country, and the penalties are spelt out in the law. The government just need to execute them.

In addition, Malaysia should work together with China or Souith Korea and the other countries which are also studying means to fight Internet porno. Inter-governmental approach is better so that Malaysia is not seen as trying to censor the Internet. The least Rais can do is learn from China, which tried to do it on its own .. and failed!

56 comments:

  1. Anonymous6:02 pm

    www.gutterunsensored.com yang siarkan gambar porno elizabeth wong, adun bukit lanjan, sudah disekat sejak beberapa minggu lalu. Pemilik blog itu sudah menyiarkan artikel mengutuk Malaysia kerana sekatan itu. tetapi untuk masuk ke laman web itu kena melalui another free domain. macam mana rais sekat pun tetap boleh masuk. cuma tidak boleh direct link.
    tks
    Wong Kang Kang

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous6:12 pm

    I wonder what Chedet would say about this. Remember the speech he gave:

    http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/105389

    Full news at:

    http://seniorsaloud.blogspot.com/2009/07/dr-m-on-sex-and-internet-porn.html

    -- James Lipton

    ReplyDelete
  3. IbuSejati6:14 pm

    Bro, As a working mother who prefers spending quality time with my children doing stuff other than teach them not to go porno, I really do not mind and in fact support any help from govt to censor at the 1st level. No matter how much sensors, some porno will pass thru and we'll be busy with those. So, while working towards a better approach in combatting this problem, my take to RAIS is go ahead and do what it takes to safeguard our loved ones (seberapa daya). I'll worry about what the bloggers feel some other day.

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  4. Anonymous6:25 pm

    But DAP also ban the sale of NST in Penang ma? and PAS supporters cannot buy Utusan or Berita Harian ma?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous6:27 pm

    wow .. u are finally posting some opinion of your own ... well done, although its pro-establishment crap, still a good start. keep it up, write a bit more, stop talking about blogging as if its god's gift to a bunch of losers ... there may be hope after all.
    *floyd*

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  6. isnt't there similarity to this and alcohol consumption in Shah Alam.

    Rather than banning beer or censoring the internet, shouldn't education be the key.

    I'm sure parents worry about children surfing for porn just as much as they're worried about children drinking beer.

    If we choose to have self-regulation, (self imposed porn filters and education), how come we're choosing government regulation for the other.

    So it's either you support both the beer ban and government censorship or reject both.

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  7. nstman6:43 pm

    In China, anyone who goes against state orders either get shot or end up in prison for long spells. Are we following the actions of the Chinese bastards?

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  8. Such unilateral action simply won't work. Awareness and education is the way to go, and those enforcing the existing laws pertaining to the INTERNET should focus on what they are doing or supposed to do.

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  9. Bro Rocky,definetely agreed with your comments for the Minister.

    Hope Bro you can do something to wake up the nation about the alarming rate of death due to "BABI FLU" in our beloved nation. PLS WAKE UP ALL THE CABINET MINISTER TO ADDRESS AND RESOLVE THE ISSUE DURING THEIR CABINET COMMITTEE MEETING. IT LOOKS LIKE THAT OUR HEALTH MINISTER, ALREADY LOST HIS DIRECTION. ...pls bro for the sake of 1 Malaysia!

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  10. Bro,

    Your views are spot on. I hope that the government will come to this realisation.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Come on rocky u are talking like a kid. Of course rais yatim knows how to control porn. This is his excuse to control the net, same as China lah. Sheesh.

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  12. Anonymous7:30 pm

    Question is how will they filter the *bleep* internet?!

    What the *bleep* are they trying to do???!!! Can't they just bloody*bleep* leave everything well alone??! Must they *bleep* go and *bleep* put their hands in everything??!! Can't they just *bleep* concentrate on doing somethin else??! Next *bleep* thing you know is us Malaysians can only surf the net for nothing but what they want us to *bleep* see.

    WHAT THE *BLEEP*!!!



    @#*!!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Saya sokong Rocky! Rocky can MM lead the way?

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous7:52 pm

    Ayooo ... mana boleh censor porn. Ramai peminat porn kat Malaysia ni. Dan perlu diingat peminat porn juga adalah pengundi. Kalau censor mesti dia orang undi Pakatan, habislah BN.
    Oleh itu jangan disekat porn tu, biar je.

    Peminat Porn Yang Akan Undi PAS

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  15. Internet censorship does not work not in the past not in the present never in the future. Even our great forward thinking former PM Dr Mahathir knows it is a futile exercise, it would be just a waste of money.

    ReplyDelete
  16. askar melayu9:52 pm

    Sebenarnya yang menentang ni bukan risau anak-anak tengok porno, mak bapak yang risau tak dapat nak tengok porno.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous11:17 pm

    So what will happen to the tender issued to 4 crony companies. Damn. The project is worth tens of millions. You need the mother of all servers and software and professional services. And of course the good thing is, it will not work.

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  18. Anonymous11:19 pm

    For showing his incompetent, Rais should resign to save Najib from further embarrassment.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous11:19 pm

    Don't have to censor anything but just divide the Web stuff into several categories such general, X, XX, XXX, etc. Next step is to allow subscribers to decide on what they would want to have and subscribes accordingly. If cable TV and satellite TV is can do just that, no reason why the Net provider should be given so much leeway!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Noor Azam Shairi11:28 pm

    I'd like to add another challenge for Rais:

    To rescue Bernama TV.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Anonymous1:05 am

    Child porno... wasnt the son of a well placed member of MACC caught for child porno in Australia. But he is still flying and the father is still well placed! So where is the message that the BN government is serious about child porno? Rais is more interested in censoring political desent la.
    Cheers
    Habib RAK

    ReplyDelete
  22. Anonymous1:45 am

    Accessing internet porn or not...

    Is that not a problem of the heart...

    ReplyDelete
  23. TurboFergie2:56 am

    I support Filtering..
    There is just too much filth..
    and look at the way ppl so brazenly attack Races, Islam and sensitive issues..
    There has to be a Law..

    ReplyDelete
  24. Anti PR3:06 am

    Censor child porno? U mean such as this kind of pics?

    http://magickriver.blogspot.com/2009/07/spirituality-and-sex.html

    ReplyDelete
  25. Anonymous6:23 am

    Apa salahnya kita tiru negara China? sapa lawan kena hukum penjara / pancung kapara..apa macam? ada berani?

    sam kang kong

    ReplyDelete
  26. Anonymous9:49 am

    salam bro!
    suruh depa tutup kedai cyber dulu baru cerita la......
    bagero!

    arong asli!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Anonymous11:00 am

    Maybe tthis very fast statement to censor is a good sign of new proactiveness...
    If only we could go back and save the Bok Mansion..
    But going down the China road is not necessariy the right highway for us.
    Most people forget that unlike China who is largely central govt planning based,it enables decisions to be solely made more easily. We are like Britain,India which is a mixed planning/economy and leaning more towards free economy where people views are considered as in a democracy.
    This explains China's Brer Rabbit steamrolling to the others slow Brer Tortise slow walk. Yet the effect of the path taken is yet to be seen... yet.
    As such while censoring porn is good but in a democracy they maybe
    pro and cons in a wider picture of things.Good luck Malaysia...
    Walter mao.

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  28. Anonymous1:20 pm

    Let us do a proper study of prevalence of incest in Malaysian Soceity as compared to pedeopile activity in Malaysia before we come to a conclusion. Let not internet censorship become like ISA where not only terrorist but political opponents can also be arrested under ISA, where not only pornograpic material is blocked but also political bloggers are blocked. There is a very thin line we are treading. Watch out bloggers, your freedom to write may soon be blocked.

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  29. Anonymous1:58 pm

    Rocky ni...porno porno porno...the word is PORN lah...aisey brader!

    PONO

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  30. Bro Rocky,I am your Bangsa Malaysia initiative member.But I think some of us have misunderstood the intention of Dr.Rais Yatim's proposal on internet filtering.

    The proposal is not to curb the freedom of bloggers who pos comments and critism on government. But it is merely intented to arrest the culture of pornography culture among our young netizens.

    While government engage on educating Malaysians on the ills of child pornography, the parents too must take extra care to make sure their children are safe from this disastrous culture. The pornography culture is currently making inroads steadily among our young Malaysians. It is dangerous not only for our children but also for our safety and social order.

    Please dont be influenced by the foreign journalist who write and comments about our initiative with hiddeen agenda. They are all out to colonize our mind throuh cyberspace or so called borderless world. Let us not divide on this issue but give our support to Dr.Rais Yatim's noble initiative to save our children from hell.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Anonymous3:28 pm

    Rais should go back to promoting P Ramlee films and the best of Malay culture rather than try to be smart in trying something which he is totally ignorant off - filter the internet! Everyone knows he is trying to bodek/ampu Najib; like his boss, Rais tries to insult intelligence of rakyat by saying ban directed against porno sites; if so why only now, and not much earlier when porno sites already active. Now Rais has no where to hide his muka after his boss says no to filtering internet. Padan Muka!

    Cybernatic

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  32. Thank You Datuk Seri Mohd Najib. Thank You.

    If we allow the "censors" to interfere, one thing will lead to another and there will be no end.

    The PM has made a correct decision.

    Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Bunnies5:52 pm

    For the life of me, I cannot understand such logic. For the life of me, I cannot comprehend why Malaysians and its government always think the best way to deal with anything that is bad is by the means of banning or censorship. Why cant they get into their thick head that such method are not effective anymore as we are not in that 1935 era!! Is it their brain cannot capture such logic or these people are simply beyond stupid. I really dont know and quite frankly, dont care or cant care anymore!!

    The only way to counter anything bad is through education. PARENTS have to play their part properly in educating and exposing their children to all undesirable things such as pornography/gambling/ drinking/bomb making, etc. There is no room for uneasy or ashame or akward if you want the best for your children. NOBODY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR CHILD so, parents please! act and do your part!

    ReplyDelete
  34. Good suggestions, bro.

    Couldn't agree more!

    dpp
    We are all of 1 race, the Human Race. That is all that really matters.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Tok Dalang9:05 pm

    Aiyo..this Rais really want to censor the internet because of Porno thing or because of this bugger/blogger Raja Petra Malaysia Today blog thing...

    It's like watching P Ramlee's film "Sargent Hassan" where the villagers are not allowed to hear
    radio broadcast..RTM etc...

    then the Villagers will be the Rakyat...
    The Rais and the Gang will be the Japanese?

    hahahaha

    ReplyDelete
  36. Anonymous9:29 pm

    Oh ya, the Son of the MACC's Chief is the victim of Child Porn due to the the uncensored internet!

    BL

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  37. Anonymous10:21 pm

    Rocky's Bru,

    One minister said this and a few hours later, the PM over-ride and said something else.

    Why flip-flopping? They cannot make up their mind and make announcement to the public in unison?

    Teach them lah....Rocky...you are from Utusan. Have great influence kan?

    Minister is mentally-challenged...how to learn from China? You are asking him to go learn a thing or two from China regarding this topic. Dia tu mana boleh? Otak dah tak senonoh tu.


    KL-lite

    ReplyDelete
  38. Anonymous3:15 am

    Yes, any parents need to educate children how to differentiate between good and bad values. For example, parents need to play active roles in educating the young generation about the negative aspects of cigarettes smoking. Assuming that parents in any of the developed countries are doing just that beginning some 20-30 years ago, by right today there are no more smokers amongst the present youths!

    So, assuming cigarette smoking is no longer an issue, no countries need to spend on anti-smoking campaigns neither do they have to formulate a new bills to further restricts peoples' access to the tobacco products! The ideal situation above is not a reality. The real situation in cigarette smoking issue is well known. Why is it so?

    Yes, even with involvement of parent such as RPK and the likes, who is so passionate in inculcating positive value (in fact a false positive one), but yet he offered no guarantee in that none of them will not go astray.

    And if going by the arguments that smoking is more of a personal and family issues and therefore by right the problem of habitual smoking could be solved by encouraging more parents to play their parts. Is it is so, then why their govt (of the developed nations) is taking all the troubles to continuously and frantically search for better ways to further restrict the peoples exposure to tobacco items?

    If the above analogy applies to the discussion on how to regulate bad elements found on the Net, and given that sort of high degree of commitments by all parties (individuals, industries and authorities) in curing habitual smoking and yet the effort failed badly, then how come by just relying solely on the parents role for educating the kids about dark side side of the Internet is considered enough to get a good result -- children by then able to steer clear of the porn sites!!! What a false hope!!!

    antihipokrit

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  39. Anonymous3:44 am

    No censorship at all? Yahooo, meaning anyone would have plenty of opportunities catching BABI's YouTube-CCTV-clips with his pants down! What a show, yeehah...

    ReplyDelete
  40. Anonymous3:51 am

    Huh, banyaknya komentar yang mempertahankan laman web pornografi!!! Ada apa-apa ke?
    Apa pendapat ular-mak piss?

    ReplyDelete
  41. Anonymous4:04 am

    Kalau orang bukan Islam tidak bersetuju laman pornografi disunting, itu boleh difahami dengan mudah. Sama macam isu arak.

    Bagi mereka tidak haram minum arak, oleh itu tidak ada alasan untuk dihadkan penjualanya, termasuklah di kawasan yang majoriti Melayu. Logiklah tu.

    Dalam konteks pornografi agaknya itu jualah hujah mereka. Ya, oleh kerana tidak haram bagi mereka melayari laman pornografi, makanya tidak logiklah kalau mereka meminta laman sebgitu disekat!! Ya tak ye juga...

    Cumanya yang Mel-ayu tu apa pulak berbelit-belit hujah mereka? Yang Mel-ayu tu kenapa pulak melihat isu menggunakan otak mata bukan Melayu dan otak Mel-ayu sekularis songsang dalam PR?

    apolitikal

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  42. Anonymous7:23 am

    I don't know why you are singling out Green Dam to equate this internet filter proposal to. Is it because it's China so it sounds bad? Did they say anywhere that they were going to install filter software into people's computers?

    Many so called "liberal" countries censor the Internet. For example,the UK have the IWF that gives ISPs a list of sites to block and Australia is piloting a system they call Cleanfeed.

    Oik

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  43. Get real a bit can we.

    When we all had internet access, a lot of us spent more time on the porn sites than any other. We all received and we sent porn over our e-mail.

    But when was the last time you did it?

    I know its been a very long time I've been to one of those sites....although I do check out one particular one for new stories. Keeping up with language used and new tricks they turn. Pictures...not bothered any more. And its been a very very long time since I got any pictures. If at all its comics!!

    Curiosity will still get porn to where it is sought. And I bet you most sex related crimes are still being committed by perverts who don't see porn on the internet.

    Its all about getting air time. and it all has to do with undermining Najib. Both the DPM and Rais who used to be so quiet until their elevation have now recurringly without a pause saying stuff quite inconsistent to Najib's 1Malaysia and several of his postulations. Even this rubbish from Rais obviously has to nudge Najib in a most inconvenient way. Why?

    Utusan is once again doing everything that is against everything that Najib has been saying and trying to do. and yet they go on. Hey, what's happening in UMNO? for sure Najib is not in control!! So who? what?

    ReplyDelete
  44. Anonymous8:50 am

    Aiyaa.
    Talking about porno aa? Hey, our top man in MACC, remember aaa, his sonlah involve in child porno lah. Smuggle the porno cd in kanggaroo land aa? Case tutup ka???
    Hey rocky, this too sensitive aa, must censorlah. investigate lah, send some one to Australia.

    Itu MACC punya boss, sama macam ayam jantan aaaa, koko manyak lerai-lerai tapi eko aaaa manyak taik. cit busuk punya orang

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  45. Anonymous11:33 am

    This is a step backwards.
    Who's going to decide what is porn and what isn't?

    -chee

    ReplyDelete
  46. Anonymous12:22 pm

    ai, just used the typical umno methodology: just burn all the pc & notebooks...

    ReplyDelete
  47. Anonymous12:26 pm

    When hire monkey like Rais as minister, end up getting primate ideas from him.

    Monkey see, monkey do... ooo, ooo, arr, arr.. a 'win-win situation' fool talking.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Rais is doing the right thing in is the wrong direction. He intention is good for a moral consious malaysan but no good for non moral consious. Gave it a trial run and then get the frrdback. I m sure mak bapak and aldults will cry the most. Children they dont care if not able to surf internet for pron. Got no got doesnt make a different for them, it the Mak Bapak and above puberty concern. By the way for concern mak bapak, dont you know that u can control your child surfing habit by using the internet filter. Gosh Mr Rais most of them dont know, then made known to them, unfortunately, the so call mak bapak also want to surf ha ha. When this mak bapak were young and just the same age as teenager now, they do the same thing, surfing for prono or searching for prono at Petaling Street. Ha ha what a sad movie and a life cycle.Kayuh sana kayuh sini sama tempat jugak jumpa!. Mak Bapak kena belajar dan buat dulu baru ajar anak ye kalau tak tosah le buang mase je.Kata P Ramlee: Mak Bapak awak jugak yang salah, masa nak kawin dulu , minta beribu ribu ringgit, terpaksa aku hotang ceti!

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  49. Rais Yatim has outlived his usefulness!He is definitely out of date.Better for him to retire gracefully or be forced out like Pak Lah.Compared to Tengku Razaleigh, he is not capable of adjusting himself to the present political enviroment.He lacks
    principle, and we can all see that he is trying his best to remain in the Cabinet.I don't think he can last until the next GE.

    ReplyDelete
  50. Vergis Mathew2:58 pm

    I do not agree that the internet be censor in Malaysia. The government of Malaysia is going backward if it choose to censor the internet access in Malaysia.

    Vergis Mathew
    Taman Tun Dr Ismail

    ReplyDelete
  51. Anonymous9:31 pm

    Better to advoid than to cure.
    ml

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  52. Anonymous10:44 pm

    I agree with Rais Yatim. Malaysia should censor the internet. Follow like Singapore, UK and so on....Freedom is not freedom when there is too much freedom ....

    ReplyDelete
  53. Anonymous10:53 pm

    When a Malay whacked his own race, the non-Malay clap their hands to show that they admire this person.

    What is the Malays reaction? Nothing...they just keep quiet. Why? This is because in the context of multiracial politic the Malays has reached certain level of maturity.

    antihipokrit

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  54. Why is Rais talking about morality? Something he surely knows nothing about! He writes his thesis for his doctorate saying the sky is blue. And now he says the sky is red!!

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  55. Anonymous3:09 am

    Why rais talking about morality? It is so simple bro. Take EliXX's case and the likes as a good example of how low aspect of morality has gone down to. You don't agree?

    antihipokrit

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  56. Anonymous6:00 pm

    porno is only meant for cyber pervert..

    real man work for the buck and go get a real fuck..

    simple

    :D muhahaha

    ReplyDelete