Unspun is glad he is living outside his homeland, Malaysia. While he loves the place (and of course the food) he thinks that Malaysians have gone real anal, a bit like their neighbor below.
Now comes news that Malaysian bloggers (Screenshots and Rocky’s Bru) are being sued for their postings by, of all people, journalists. So much for the cut and thrust of intellectual parrying to arrive at a greater truth, and the ability of offended parties to instantly respond to correct any untruths in blogs.
Judging from the comments posted on their blogs the Malaysian bloggers may be mobilizing a legal defence fund to take on the plaintiffs. Rocky correctly states that everyone is going into “unchartered waters” with this legal action.
How do you sue bloggers whose blogs are domiciled elsewhere and where the plaintiffs had the right to correct an erroneous posting through the comments section? Unspun has no answers. Perhaps there is a legal maven out there who can enlighten us?
Unspun 
It’s everyone’s guess if and when the ISA hammer would be used. If and when it is used, there will only be a few principled ones left standing. But of course, your question about those domiciled outside Malaysia is a valid point to conside. Don’t these bloggers want to come home some time?
Again, before the government acts, the previous administration had already given an undertaking that the internet would be kept free from censorship, I believe. Acting contrary is bound to affect the Multimedia Corridor adversely.
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Is this for real ? Does anyone know if its a first for Bloggers to be sued like this ? It’s not a ringing endorsement for the Malaysian journos who are doing it. This is no time to be a luddite.
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if i say Malaysia ‘ s Internal Security Act sucks,..will they sue me ?
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Let’s show our support by not buying NST……
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After 50 Years of independence, this Country is still FUCK UP BIG TIMES !!
I am sick and tire and raally ashame of being a Malaysian.
I will not let my children to go thru this hell. I will send them overseas by hook or by crook and become citizen in Spore, UK, US or Australia.
Believe me. This is a hopeless country.
Cry for all Malaysian.
Fuck with BN & Wawazan 2020. This is the joke of the century ! Don’t be fool by them. BN is the daylight robber and license crook from head to tail.
Chow Chi Bai, wish BN die soon.
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Bayi: As Jeff Ooi himself says (refer to Global Voices posting) this is not a clampdown by Malaysian authorities.
Ganesha: I think bloggers have been sued elsewhere and another journalist Guna from The Edge sued Jeff Ooi once of a comment someone posted. The case was resolved with the court deciding that Jeff was not guilty, if I remember correctly.
Iman: They won’t sue you, just have your biji for breakfast.
Roselan: NST’s circulation figures have already not been healthy anyway
Chow: Can understand you getting angry but channel your anger into something more constructive. Right now its an energy out to rip apart rather than to build something better from the mess that is Malaysia.
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This is really sad and shameful. But i personally doubt the bloggers would be ordered to pay compensation of any sort to the journalists.
http://www.mmarankings.wordpress.com
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:-!
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Unspun: I see only a fine line between the government and NST.
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I left Malaysia because I saw these things coming. I had to work 2 jobs even though I have UK and Australian qualifications to rebuild my career,buy a house etc. The most difficult part was the loss of support systems, of friends, etc. But these can be built here. I did it, so can you.
Australia is a great place to live in, bring up your children to good citizenship and to grow your wealth. You need good health and must not have a criminal record to migrate. The sooner you apply the better because of age, etc. Send me a brief email (to: easymigration@iprimus.com.au) for a free assessment. There are also many migration agents on the web (although they mostly demand an assessment fee unless you use them).
Some background – I am a lawyer, practising property law, migration and citizenship law, etc. I am also a registered migration agent (No: 0641054) living and working on Sydney”s (now fashionable) Northern Beaches.
It is all worth it when I look at my children growing up as Australians, knowing that it is against the law if someone discriminates against them. But to discriminate is even harder as there are 200 nationalities in Australia!
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When bloggers like ‘ChowChiBaiMalay’ use such bad language on the web to vent their feelings, one wonders what blogging has come too…
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There are two cases – one in the US (the Healthgrades case) and another in Australia where parties have been allowed to sue for defamation on the internet. In the Australian case the Court allowed a businessman to sue for internet defamation that occured in the US. It is likely there are other cases dealing with jurisdiction in internet cases. So it would appear possible that a Malaysian court could rely on decisions in other jurisdictions as persuasive enough to say it has jurisdiction to deal with the matter. For all this you can blame Mahathir – he did not do anything for press freedom in Malaysia but he is getting a taste of what it is like being frozen out!
As for me, Australia was a welcome change. There is freedom, a fair and free press and a great people to work with. I practice immigration law and help Malaysians escape to the Real Boleh country.
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Paklah has keyed in the wrong destination pin code into his GPS
Looks like,
Malaysia is run by a bunch of immature kids who don’t know what to talk & when to talk. The ruling party is good at playing the racial cards.
The problem is not the normal people. its the politicians..
I feel that the country is heading in wrong direction.
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some of us just cant packup and leave, some of us are loyal and patriotic to the country… true that some government policies sucks at times but it doesnt mean we should migrate just based on that…
bloggers being sued …sooner or later it will bound to happen… but thats a small issue, there are many bigger issues to tackle…
if we all dont like this government maybe we should all work to change it… not just blindly vote or abstain from voting or “cabut lari”… cowards run…those with courage will stay and fight…
we fought the japs, communism, the brits and now we run…does not make sense…we now should fight the corrupted..NO not the guy who took RM30 but those who abuse power for personnel gain…The Politicians…serve the people not yourself…
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What the fuss…ChowChiBai?
Hope u read the history fact….this is Malaysia a.k.a TANAH MELAYU
People like you…is welcome to ‘berambus’ to other country…why select Singapore, Austsralia? The mainland even not welcome you rite?
Chinese immigrants were never invinted to TANAH MELAYU in the first place…
How i hope the 13 May will happen again..
Thanx to the Jap who chop people like you during the WW2…
Thanx to the Indonesian who rape and kill thousands during the Indoensian Reformation 1998…
These 2 nations know what chinese people like you really are…?
Hahahaha
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I think you all watched TV too much…
It won’t be that easy even for a Chinese doctor to jump ship.
The Australians look down on Asians especially the Chinese because theY (will) eventually take over the area (as we always do)
You will be discriminated, sometimes very badly. Sometimes even assulted by kids of locals. Then comes challenges from established immigrants who look at you as invaders into their areas.
Singapore as a new home?
Think again, their rules and controls will freak you out! Then its is the MONEY factor, you must have LOTS of it to be accepted, and you will be TAXED EVEN MORE THERE.
The Singapore Chinese will look down on Malaysian Chinese, you will find that you rank very much lower in status there
USA … ah the land of the free
Be ready to be called JEWS OF THE ORIENT. As such expect that level of “appreciation” from their locals
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We may get angry when someone makes some racist remarks here but there is no need to join in and wallow in the mud. Let the guy who starts it do the wallowing. Just ignore him as giving him due attention is what he wants. Let’s stick to the discussion points at hand.
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I don’t normally post comments, but Hahaha’s comments are too much. Yes, we shouldn’t give Hahaha the attention “he” (why do we assume it’s a he, huh?) obviously wants, but he goes too far. It’s not about disliking comments, or the way they are phrased. It’s that he gives voice to such vicious racism. And I am also shocked that only one person — bayi — has chosen to comment on what he said. It obviously works to pay the racial card.
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Thanks, Fuming. It’s a lonely road. I did not expect support. It’s often easier to play the racial card. The problem is that even if people disagree with playing the racial card, they don’t speak up. If they choose to be the so-called “silent majority”, it is a group that is hardly effective, if at all. We need to voice our concern at least to effect change for the better.
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It’s been interesting to read such free-flowing comments on an all “Malaysian” free for all. While we are on the subject, how many of you have read the book entitled “Contesting Malayness”? Written by a Professor of National University of Singapore. Cost S$32 (about). It reflects the Anthropologists views that there is no such race as the “Malays” to begin with. If we follow the original migration of the Southern Chinese of 6,000yrs ago, they moved into Taiwan, (now the Alisan), then into the Phillipines (now the Aeta) and moved into Borneo (4,500yrs ago) (Dayak). They also split into Sulawesi and progressed into Jawa, and Sumatera. The final migration was to the Malayan Peninsular 3,000yrs ago. A sub-group from Borneo also moved to Champa in Cambodia at 4,500yrs ago.
Interestingly, the Champa deviant group moved back to present day Kelantan. There are also traces of the Dong Song and HoaBinh migration from Vietnam and Cambodia. To confuse the issue, there was also the Southern Thai migration, from what we know as Pattani today. (see also “Early Kingdoms of the Indonesian Archipelago and the Malay Peninsular”)
Of course, we also have the Minangkabau’s which come from the descendants of Alexander the Great and a West Indian Princess. (Sejarah Melayu page 1-3)
So the million Dollar Question… Is there really a race called the “Malays”? All anthropologists DO NOT SEEM TO THINK SO.
Neither do the “Malays” who live on the West Coast of Johor. They’d rather be called Javanese. What about the west coast Kedah inhabitants who prefer to be known as “Achenese”? or the Ibans who simply want to be known as IBANS. Try calling a Kelabit a “Malay” and see what response you get… you’ll be so glad that their Head-Hunting days are over.
The definition of “Malay” is therefore simply a collection of people’s who speak a similar type language. With what is meant by a similar type language does not mean that the words are similar. Linguists call this the “Lego-type” language, where words are added on to the root word to make meaning and give tenses and such. Somehow, the Indonesians disagree with this classification. They refuse to be called Malay…. Anyhow you may define it. Watch “Malays in Africa”; a Museum Negara produced DVD. Also, the “Champa Malays” by the same.
With this classification, they MUST also include the Phillipinos, the Papua New Guineans, the Australian Aboroginies, as well as the Polynesian Aboroginies. These are of the Australo Melanesians who migrated out of Africa 60,000yrs ago.
Getting interesting? Read on…
“Malay” should also include the Taiwanese singer “Ah Mei” who is Alisan as her tribe are the anscestors of the “Malays”. And finally, you will need to define the Southern Chinese (Funan Province) as Malay also, since they are from the same stock 6,000yrs ago.
Try calling the Bugis a “Malay”. Interestingly, the Bugis, who predominantly live on Sulawesi are not even Indonesians. Neither do they fall into the same group as the migrating Southern Chinese of 6,000yrs ago nor the Australo Melanesian group from Africa.
Ready for this?
The Bugis are the cross-breed between the Chinese and the Arabs. (FYI, a runaway Ming Dynasty official whom Cheng Ho was sent to hunt down) Interestingly, the Bugis were career Pirates in the Johor-Riau Island areas. Now the nephew of Daeng Kemboja was appointed the First Sultan of Selangor. That makes the entire Selangor Sultanate part Arab, part Chinese! Try talking to the Bugis Museum curator near Kukup in Johor. Kukup is located near the most south-western tip of Johor. (Due south of Pontian Kechil)
Let’s not even get into the Hang Tuah, Hang Jebat, Hang Kasturi, Hang Lekiu, and Hang Lekir, who shared the same family last name as the other super famous “Hang” family member… Hang Li Poh. And who was she? the princess of a Ming Dynasty Emperor who was sent to marry the Sultan of Malacca. Won’t that make the entire Malacca Sultanate downline “Baba” ? Since the older son of the collapsed Malaccan Sultanate got killed in Johor, (the current Sultanate is the downline of the then, Bendahara) the only other son became the Sultan of Perak. Do we see any Chinese-ness in Raja Azlan? Is he the descendant of Hang Li Poh?
Next question. If the Baba’s are part Malay, why have they been marginalized by NOT BEING BUMIPUTERA? Which part of “Malay” are they not? Whatever the answer, why then are the Portugese of Malacca BUMIPUTERA? Did they not come 100yrs AFTER the arrival of the first Baba’s? Parameswara founded Malacca in 1411. The Portugese came in 1511, and the Dutch in the 1600’s. Strangely, the Baba’s ere in fact once classified a Bumiputera, but a decided that they were strangely “declassified” in the 1960’s. WHY?
The Sultan of Kelantan had similar roots to the Pattani Kingdom making him of Thai origin. And what is this “coffee table book” by the Sultan of Perlis claiming to be the direct descendant of the prophet Muhammed? Somehow we see Prof Khoo Khay Khim’s signature name on the book. I’ll pay good money to own a copy of it myself. Anyone has a spare?
So, how many of you have met with orang Asli’s? the more northern you go, the more African they look. Why are they called Negrito’s? It is a Spanish word, from which directly transalates “mini Negros”. The more southern you go, the more “Indonesian” they look. And the ones who live at Cameron Highlands kinda look 50-50. You can see the Batek at Taman Negara, who really look like Eddie Murphy to a certain degree. Or the Negritos who live at the Thai border near Temenggor Lake (north Perak). The Mah Meri in Carrie Island look almost like the Jakuns in Endau Rompin. Half African, half Indonesian.
By definition, (this is super eye-opening) there was a Hindu Malay Empire in Kedah. Yes, I said right… The Malays were Hindu. It was, by the old name Langkasuka. Today known as Lembah Bujang. This Hindu Malay Empire was 2,000yrs old. Pre-dating Borrobudor AND Angkor Watt. Who came about around 500-600yrs later. Lembah Bujang was THE mighty trading empire, and its biggest influence was by the Indians who were here to help start it. By definition, this should make the Indians BUMIPUTERAS too since they were here 2,000yrs ago! Why are they marginalized?
So, in a nutshell, the “Malays” (anthropologists will disagree with this “race” definition) are TRULY ASIA !!! (main continent and West Asia included)
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Have any Malays ever won Nobel prizes: Malay nationals or Malay racially?
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Friend,
I think this post is nothing more than propaganda put out by the White Man to slow his inevitable demise and the rise of the Malay race. What are you saying, that we are the same as the White man LOL !
Friend, the Malay may be slow, but he is sure. The Malay (unlike the White Man) still values the family and practices his religion. The last few centuries have just been a matter of the Malay biding his time, absorbing as much of the White Man’s science and technology as possible, before taking over. Overall, however, if the notion of not a pure Malay race wasn’t so silly it’d be offensive, if not dangerous. There is nothing more frightening than miscegenation.
I thank you, Friend.
Achmad.
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Well the only reason Pramoedya Ananta Toer hasn’t won the Nobel prize is because the White Man who runs the committee doesn’t want to hear the Truth from him. Nelson Mandela is at heart a Malay — evident in his batik shirts. And besides, Mr. T. Cotton, there’s no such country as ‘Malay’. I recommend in future you consult at Atlas, a Map, or the Internet before expressing your views.
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I coudn’t have agreed more with Mr Chick. Why make such fuss about who’s the rightful ancestors of the land and the privililages that only a rightful community should enjoy…. Let’s face facts, our fore fathers were roaming the vast lands to spread their seeds around and we’re the products of their investments. And Merdeka!! for all……
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Thank for making this valuable information available to the public.e
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it gets sillier by the day, seriously “is Malay a race”? of course it is…like the Chinese who are made of many sects and groupings, so are Malays… be it Jawa, Bugis, Sumatrans, Acheh, non-mixed Filipinos (named after a Spanish King is not so original) Filipinos are Malays…
Indians asking a million each even funnier from the Brits… your forefathers took the boat for a better life… if not you all would be still competing with 1.2 billion other Indians (do the math.. its better here anyday)…
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I like blogger malaysia, because they are good and always professional in developing their websites..can i excjange link with you? please confirm if you accept or reject
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just wanna say your post inspiring me much..thank you
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