Saturday, February 11, 2012

Malaysia's US$10 million blogger, allegedly

13th GE psy(ber)-war begins. John Bertelsen of Asia Sentinel got in touch with me earlier this week  after hearing that I'd been given US$10 m by Umno to spearhead the party's blog offensive come the 13th General Election. I laughed it off as crap. He did, too, but his sources were convinced of my "ill-gotten" gains because I'm driving a BMW and I've gotten a Harley Davidson. Hehe. I told him I had the BMW two years ago, soon after I rejoined The Malay Mail as its boss. My Softail Heritage is a well- used but still beautiful Harley, built in 1997 and has been in the workshop since October or Nov.

Click to read Malaysia's Anti-Opposition Bloggers 

I'm sure Umno has a strategy to engage Pakatan Rakyat's army of bloggers, news portals, and cybertroopers during the general election, and with that strategy comes a substantial budget. I am not privy to that strategy and certainly not to any budget that has been set aside by the party. However, if it's RM10 m (as my friend the PKR YB Nik Nazmi had alleged), I don't think that's enough to do the job and I think Nik knows that very well. His own state Selangor alone has set aside more than that amount (RM15 million every year, if I'm not mistaken), just for its internet TV and a small publication in the state. How much is PR spending on its entire cyberspace and social media war room, including the networks based overseas that it's been sponsoring? Quite a bit, I'm sure. In this regards, Bertelsen's US10 m sounds more plausible but the amount is still way too little!

After March 2008, at a blog seminar in Universiti Malaya, I predicted the rise of the BN bloggers to meet the enemies at the next GE. During the 12th GE, Umno and its coalition partners had been overwhelmed by Pakatan's absolute dominance of the new/social media. As we know, it was not that PR was more savvy. It was because BN was totally anti-social media. The advisers to the Prime Minister then totally failed to appreciate the power and influence of blogs, portals, FB and twitter on voters, especially the young ones.

So, yes, expect both BN and PR to invest a lot of money to equip their cyber soldiers for the coming war (I for one do not believe that PR will be spending less than BN!). Expect a few blogs and portals to jump sides or be "bought" over. It'd do good to remember that Raja Petra Kamaruddin, one of the most influential cyber players since the last GE, was NOT on Anwar Ibrahim or Pakatan Rakyat's side until just a few months before the March 2008. Don't forget also, many pro-Umno bloggers who were campaigning against the Abdullah regime at the time with RPK are not back with the BN (even though they are always so critical of the BN government).

33 comments:

  1. Ridzzy6:25 pm

    I am saving up for my HD Sportster too. Cant get anything else due to my smallish frame

    Maybe one day can convoy together.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous7:10 pm

    Sir,

    Surely for what you had written, are writing and will write, there must be something for you. Am I right?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous9:53 pm

    Yeah Rocky

    Kudos to your integrity. Visits to your blog will naturally increase.

    psst ... including Rocky critics - a case of "benci tapi rindu"

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous10:18 pm

    The moment one sees a real side of things, he must have sold his soul, been bought over by BN, won the jackpot or along those lines.

    And I am also paid RM 10 million, because I think on the right side. So, is that a sin?

    In the Pakatan world, GAG is the ticket to heaven. Their leaders can walk naked and their stupid followers will say "What a nice dress that is".

    A GOOD MAN DOES NOTHING.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous12:39 pm

    the malay mail newspaper is free...how come they still paid u a big salary? I wonder....

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous2:36 pm

    Dont tell us you are doing it free from your heart ! Hey! You don't survive on roti chanai man!!
    Man! A Beemmer cost alot so next you tell us like it's your Harley!
    Please nothing is free in this world!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous2:38 pm

    10Mil?? just give 1% is alaready enuf my fren..heheh

    ReplyDelete
  8. Rocky

    Standard pakatan rakyat style of destroying whoever they think is against them.

    You can see it in the early 90s DAP and PAS ceramah

    when Mat Sabu call Anwar Aljuburi,

    when Kid Siang blame Anwar on Bank Negara forex loss of $10b.

    when Nik Aziz fatwa's calling it's a sin to be a partner with DAP

    when Karpal singh said over my dead body if PAS want to implement the hudud law.

    and so on....

    so those kids who were born after 1980 and if you're against them, be prepared to be kondem.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous4:43 pm

    Dear Rocky,

    I think they forgot to include the Lorex Watch bought at Orchard Road Singapore, the 33% share in a Masala Dosa Fast Food Chain in Chennai and the 77% portfolio of stocks and share in the Lubok China Belacan factory.

    You are in good company because in the late 80s, British mainstrean newspapers accused Dr Mahathir of hoarding a huge jade statue!

    You lucky devil!!

    Catwoman

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hmmm....there goes my hope of getting a laptop from you Rocky. Well, never mind, I think I will buy that secondhand Acer netbook a little 10-year-old boy was offering me that day for RM500 only. hehehehe....

    ReplyDelete
  11. Sure bro,
    You seem to wish that you had 10 M.
    it would have been better to rear cows and make more than that. Malaysia Boleh ma ...

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous9:17 pm

    Sudah Laaa Hipokrit!!

    You know not to flaunt your ill gotten gains....

    Masuk Swiss account tunggu BN kalah baru belanja!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous10:17 pm

    Najib spend RM87 million on BBC so this is not impossible. That is why UMNO is the world most corrupted party.

    ReplyDelete
  14. fellow blogger10:34 pm

    Wow rocky,

    lucky you, get USD10 million compare the rest get just a few millions in RM.

    Hassan Ali gets RM5 million for being kickout from PAS by anwar.

    Ahli Parlimen Bayan Baru, Datuk Seri Zahrain Mohamed - RM 2 million

    Ahli Parlimen Nibong Tebal Tan Tee Beng - RM 2 million

    Ahli Parlimen Bagan Serai Mohsin Shamsuri - RM 1 million

    Ahli Parlimen Kulim Baru Zulkifli Nordin - a few million

    Dr. Chandra Muzaffar, gets a RM10 million sue from anwar.

    Hope you will buy me a glass of teh tarik in bangsar very soon.

    Those who join PKR like zaid ibrahim have to donate their wealth for the cause of anwar.

    halelujah.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous9:57 am

    Eleh BIGCAT.. konon je..
    Boleh duduk semeja dengan MB tapi nak beli laptop tak mampu ..hehe..
    But its ok... Rocky is talking about psyber warfare..but I like your psy-teasers.
    Layannn je beb..!!

    JJ

    ReplyDelete
  16. I am sure they give you Malay Mail to do your part not to mention your own blog - this rockybru.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous11:39 am

    Latuk:

    Lu tolong gua, gua tolong lu....banyak betulnya....

    Godfather

    ReplyDelete
  18. Bro, nice meeting in Kuching, Sarawak just now at ZAMALAH function (LOL), please don't forget to link my not-so-glamour blog (although someone had tried to hack into it) to yours, THEY can alleged whatever figure they want but bottomline-defend whatever we believe at all cost :)
    http://theunreportednews.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous2:45 pm

    Guess you are not good enough for UMNO. At least you are honest for that.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Many bloggers do not understand the meaning of integrity.Some appreciate monetary inducement.Some have their own agendas.Am I right?US$10 million is a bit small as far as monetary inducement is concerned.
    Journalists in BBC could be bought.Why not bloggers...especially those who have no integrity!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Bedul9:32 pm

    Tak kisahlah apa orang lain kata, Rocky. They are just jealous.
    If you are the US$10m blogger, congrats. I share your joy. Tumpang gembira. I am proud of you.
    For pro-pakatan bloggers, It's always UMNO bloggers who are the paid sychopants.
    And the commentators who are pro-UMNO, are regarded as paid cyber-troopers.
    Pakatan netizens are also paid baruahs and paid cyber trolls.
    They are also paid prostitute writers. To quote DAP man who described journalists as prostitutes.
    Mulut tak de insurans. Cakap ikut sedap saje.
    At least journalists are professionals. What are you guys? Just a tukang karut.

    ReplyDelete
  22. workshop owner1:38 am

    Rocky,

    with that US$10 million, you can take back your harley first thing tomorrow morning.

    All repaired already, just waiting for you to settle the bills first.

    no money, no harley ok

    ReplyDelete
  23. Anonymous2:55 am

    I had a good chortle reading this post especially regarding those "sources". You know that species of wormwood that creeps out the woodwork when the weather gets a mite too cold!

    Ah' reckon a Beemer would be a tad too cheapo if you can afford a Ferari or a Lambro with spare change to boot with US 10 million grand, aint that so, Bru? And regarding that Harley, I wised many moons ago that all along you had it in your blood for I vaguely remember you posting something about them bikes here somewhere. Yeah, here it is:

    http://www.rockybru.com.my/2010/06/mother-of-all-days.html

    So with a Gilera, Triumph et.al heritage, any wonder those good biker genes embedded in you activated themselve to go for a cruise in the breeze on that Softtail which carries with it everywhere, every drop of sweat and every clink of hard earned dime from your regular journo and later head honcho days. As they say, a honest man earns his keep off the sweat of his brow and you sure earned your corn, bru as a Melayu Bermaruahs everywhere do and who are we, except the envious losers,to begrudge you that. As my personal mantra goes: you work hard, you play hard, so enjoy it with all your heart. No two ways about that, bru.


    I also know of something you would cherish and enjoy infinitesimally more with lager in hand and a twinkle in the eye than any measly 10 million can ever evoke. Yeah, come cock's crow this Friday or thereabouts, this blog would be hitting 17 million grand to assert itself once again as the premier so-po blog around in Malaysia and probably the region and that, I wager, would be immeasurably more pleasing to you than some cheapskate 10 million. Priceless is the word, I betcha!

    So congratulations for that milestone, bru and may you keep going strong ever onwards. And to all the naysayers and the doomdayers, eat your hearts out fellas, for after all the brickbats and barbs you hurled at him, this Buckaroo Banzai of a roadster is one helluva of a wild steer of a huckster you aint gonna tame with your PR (Perenially-Retarded) brains.

    A Connemara to you, Bru!

    Warrior 231

    ReplyDelete
  24. Anonymous6:43 am

    It's not a secret that BN pay whoever benefits them.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I'll blog full time for any devil who can pay me 1 Million USD.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Dr Mahathir is able to accept advertisments in his blog without selling his soul.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Anonymous11:26 pm

    You deserve it, may be RM10 million.

    BL

    ReplyDelete
  28. Anonymous3:01 pm

    X6 not cheap brader...moving with the Backers also not easy...suka hati kamu lah so long as you know where you come from...price point, most traitors got one!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Anon 3.01pm,

    The X6 is certainly not cheap, mo.
    It is a great car, the best I've driven and owned so far, from my very first car in 1987 (the Savanna RX7, rotary engine, two-door) right up to the 7-seater Rexton and the stolen 407. In between, the Volvo, Hondas, and quite a few Protons.

    Kalau ada rezeki, I would like to go for a convertible (never owned one) or/and a "muscle car" (like the one Dean drives in the tv series Supernatural).

    You don't have to be a crook to be able to own a car, mo. Just don't look down on a guy just because he doesn't drive a Beemer.

    ReplyDelete
  30. shamsudin6:21 pm

    Bru,

    Hang ni typical of people going thru midlife krisis. a convertibel? I say, dah itchy? that's a dick on wheels, man. i should know. after touching the big 5 (not true thats the new 30), mula gila nak betina baru, kereta baru. semua nak yg sexi sexi.
    dah banyak duit, apa lagi..biasa tu. lumrah dunia. kita tak ada beza, bro. kote gatal. biasa lah.

    ReplyDelete
  31. shamsudin,

    speak for yourself and kotes like yours. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  32. shamsudin7:38 pm

    Bru,

    jangan in denial, bro. macam kita tak tahu cerita hang. tak ada beza, beb.
    tapi aku paham kalau hang nak maintain imej. kalau depa semua tahu hang suka main-main, susah pulak. cover, cover. aku paham. good strategi.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Jasper Bloodstone10:04 pm

    Wah, lau - the warrior is a wannabe biker!

    Maybe his Stanford stint has changed him in more ways than we know about!

    Hell's Angels, anyone?

    And, Bru - why settle for a plain vanilla Beemer X6 when there's the mighty X6 M?

    ReplyDelete