Friday, June 24, 2011

Minding your language in cyberspace

Kurang ajar comments. Thanks, Mahaguru, for the image. The Muslim Bloggers Association prez used the cartoon to make his point in Malaysiakini siar komen celupar hina Islam ... He is peeved at the Government for not taking action against hate-mongers and racist instigators who write hurtful stuff about Islam. He has a point. I won't ask (also, I don't expect) Hishammuddin to issue yet another warning here. I'd rather go with Apanama's suggestion that the news portal openly apologize for those comments and promise to be more vigilant. We can't allow such commenters take away the wonder of our media freedom. Read his Seditious comments a la Malaysiakini.
p.s. Syed Akbar Ali was charged for sedition for writing less sterner stuff about Islam than the following comments published by the portal. Remember Hasan Skodeng? He was charged with a criminal offence for writing a satire against Tenaga!



19 comments:

  1. Hi Uncle Bru,

    It's up to the Admin to screen these comments. No need to hype too far on these things.

    Every blogsites have their own agenda and followers.

    TMI I think screens comments quite well; yes, it's pro-opposition but it is quite civil by my standard.

    Go read comments off MT, Parpukari or Unspinner (to mention a few) and you get a feel that cyberspace is a place to let go off emotions not logic. For me, these are mild behavior. No harm done.

    Cyber citizens will be more civil, thoughful, and rational; these desirable socio-behavior traits takes time to appear. That said, I wish all Malaysian are connected to cyberspace. Democracy will triumph.

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  2. Well said p5t.
    The language used by some of my commenters, too, can be quite flowery. But what I watch out for are remarks that aim to hurt and incite. When I see them on blogs, I'd wince, but if appears in news portals like Malaysiakini, TMI, Malaysia Today or online versions of NST, the Star or Utusan, I'd say it's not acceptable.

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  3. Brother Bru,

    Agreed totally with your comment. We should practice good manners and civility, even in cyberspace. Itu tanda beradab namanya. Satu 'trait' orang Melayu yang semakin hilang dihari ini. Orang Melayu kan terkenal dengan budi bahasa dan sopan santunnya.

    Tetapi sayangnya banyak komen komen terutama dalam blog seperti "The Unspinners" tidak melambangkan sikap seperti ini; walhal kebanyakannya ditulis oleh mereka yang mengaku Melayu.

    Mungkin mereka tidak faham definasi siapakah itu bangsa Melayu?

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  4. Salam bro. I thought that this is the cyberspace. That is why anyone can swear to anyone they don't like.

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  5. Anonymous8:17 pm

    Hi Rocky,

    You mentioned "But what I watch out for are remarks that aim to hurt and incite" .. "if appears in news portals like Malaysiakini, TMI, Malaysia Today or online versions of NST, the Star or Utusan, I'd say it's not acceptable."

    errrrrmmmm, did you actually READ Utusan? I'm sure if you held up to your stance as you said above, you'd have quite a few blogpostings on Utusan alone..

    @Baffled!

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  6. shah-KP11:42 pm

    bru. . we can b firm at forwarding our thoughts. .we can be dead serious at standing by our principles. .& we can also be emotional (be angry, if we must). .but we, as CIVIL malaysians, should not be KURANG AJAR. i have no respect for kurang ajar person no matter how many PhD's he holds. .kurang ajar person is just way below the scum underneath the piles of shit (pardon my language).

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  7. If it's minding your language in cyberspace, then there shouldn't be different standards from blogs and a national news portal.
    That's absolving people like BigDog, who certainly allow hurtful and inciteful comments in his blogsite.
    Just saying.

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  8. Anonymous12:52 am

    I dont read Malaysian Insider. It's a racist website.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Salam Bro,

    YB Zul brought up this seditious comments to parliament(read his blog).

    May we ask KDN minister then:

    Is it similar reactions taken, like investigating that "sms to ambiga"?

    he..he..cross your heart pl.

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  10. Anonymous10:01 am

    Au contraire Bro, I never insulted Islam. How can I? I am a Muslim, and proud to be one.

    In the relevant post, I was merely replying to and agreeing with another commentor who had complained about the involvement of many Arabs in vice activities in Jalan Bukit Bintang. Of course I had used a distinctive choice of words to describe such Arabs. The supposed "offense" was taken with regard to those things I said about Arabs. It has absolutely nothing to do with Islam. BTW that was in 2008.

    Never once did I ever mention Muslims or Islam. The Police investigated and closed the file as NFA (No Further Action).

    However almost a year later, after RPK wrote yet another inflamatory article and yet another Police Report was made against him, they decided to charge RPK in Court. The Police then called me and said that I would be charged in Court as well. So I appeared in Court.


    The case dragged for another year and in 2010 I was granted a DNA (discharge not amounting to acquittal).

    Cheers.

    Syed Akbar Ali

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  11. How is that comment more seditious than Ibrahim Ali's call for Chinese to stock up food before July 9th? Or his infamous "shit talking"? This is an MP, mind you, not just a random guy infront of a PC reading Malaysiakini.

    Or are you suggesting that the commentators only need to worry about the insecurities/ sensitivities of the Malays and the Muslims only?

    And Mahaguru58? really? This man advising people on good manner is like a whore advising women about the important of guarding one's virginity. What a joke!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous12:31 pm

    If it's the truth people will listnen.

    Is that the truth ?

    The people can decide

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous9:51 pm

    As a Melayu and a Muslim especially, Fathi Omar should resign from Malaysiakini. But I doubt he will do that. Like the PKR and PAS Malays who are being led by DAP by their nostrils, Fathi is indebted to Steven. Melayu apa you ni Fathi? Sanggup you siarkan komen yang menghina bangsa dan Agama kamu sendiri?

    AkuMelayu.

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  14. Anonymous9:57 pm

    Fathi Omar,

    Bila aku balas dgn komen hentam Cina dalam Malaysiakini, engkau dan ketua kau Steven, banned aku. Tetapi bila mereka hentam bangsa kau Melayu dan Agama Islam, kau siarkan. Engkau bangga. Melayu Islam apa kau ni Fathi???

    AkuMelayu

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  15. Salam bro,

    I agree with you that racist and seditious comments should not be published in news portals. The administrators should be more vigilant in vetting such garbage.

    On my blog I have a comment policy which states that "I encourage discussion, and I don’t mind disagreement, even passionate disagreement, but I do not blog to host a platform for nastiness. If you want to disagree with me or other commenters, that’s fine, but I think it’s not too much to ask that you make your case with civility and class. That’s what’s going to be enforced around here from this point forward. It’s a big Internet. Everyone is entitled to a voice; just don’t ask me to host it if you’re going to be rude.

    Comment Policy

    I reserve the right to remove comments at my discretion. Think of comment threads like a dinner party at someone's house. If you make the party unpleasant for others or me, you won't be invited back. I am happy to tolerate a wide range of viewpoints, even extreme ones, but I'm not going to tolerate nastiness, rudeness, vulgarity, vitriol, or excessively snippy snarkiness towards myself or other commenters. You may make your case passionately, but civility is expected"

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  16. kelana5:42 pm

    Salam Suhaila @ 10:36AM,

    I agree with your view on this Mahaguru58. I find this fella to be a joker somewhat.

    Not that I am condescending BUT if we want to advise other people based on al-Quran and authentic hadiths, that's fine BUT when one starts taking sides on national issues and be judgmental based on personal discretion, man that's ridiculous.

    This is what this Mahaguru58 is all about. Islam konon ...

    ReplyDelete
  17. Salam Datuk,

    When I first started blogging I was aghst at the racial and colorful language.

    Yes, I am was one of those who was smitten by M-Today.

    Following the portal I realised that it was more sensationalising and often times uncorroborated.

    But what turned me off was the highly racists comments.

    I believe in ethical and responsible blogging.

    TMI has no credibility. I must say this here and their commenters are really something to behold, racist and bigoted.

    And they moderate. Indeed, by not publishing comments that rebuts articles/commenters that goes against the grain of an agenda.

    That being said I get really pissed of when issues like Ambiga and other so called 'patriots' who bad mouth and criticise the country.

    Its all well and good if their intentions are honest. But these kind of people have selfish, obvious and sometimes bigoted agendas.

    These are the times when I cannot help but put in writing exactly how I strongly feel.

    That aside, I am mindful of how I blog.

    Ahem..I miss Warrior 231, really. He is one dude you don't mess with.
    Not one to mince words but incredible knowledge and insights.

    There are times I suspect that you, are W231.

    Best regards always
    Freddie

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  18. Anonymous11:17 am

    @ Suhaila

    "How is that comment more seditious than Ibrahim Ali's call for Chinese to stock up food before July 9th? Or his infamous "shit talking"? This is an MP, mind you, not just a random guy infront of a PC reading Malaysiakini."


    @Suhaila,this is a strange narrative because if you have paid attention to Hindraf supporters and their ilks, much more worse barrage of hate and venom have been spewed. The infamous call for economic sanction against Malaysia/ accusing Malaysia of ethnic cleansing were all called by the Hindraf. Perhaps recognizing ilks and hates coming from the other sides would lessen the need to make strange observation like this:"Or are you suggesting that the commentators only need to worry about the insecurities/ sensitivities of the Malays and the Muslims only?"

    I guess you are also paying attention to the songkok fiasco rattled by DAP as we speak. May I suggest opening your eyes to those MPs too?

    And secondly, I don't know what your beef with Mahaguru58 is, but that is a weird and disgusting analogy. I guess the joke here is you and not him. Just based on my limited observation, that is.

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  19. Anonymous11:14 pm

    Fulamak i manyak taKut after reading this.

    ReplyDelete