Most Malaysian bloggers are up in arms over the attempt by NST executives to sue Jeff Ooi and Rocky But to balance up the picture, there are those who feel that it’s just desserts they are getting. This comment in Madge P’s Lab by a guy who calls himself Punjabi Singh :
“Jeff Ooi deserves to be sued as his blog web site contains libelous, seditious and defaming content. I pray to God that He grant victory to Kalimullah Hassan and NSTP in the courts.
Malaysian law and international law gurantee the right of those innocent people whose character has been hurt by the lies propagated by Jeff Ooi to seek justice in the courts. This justice can be monetary compensation or a court injunction to stop further damages to a person’s reputation.”
What’s the truth out there? Is Punjabi a minority or are there others like him? Is he pointing out the truth or is he in league with the forces that be?
Serving journalists generally have a bone to pick with the likes of Jeff and Rocky, for obvious reasons. Such bloggers are muscling into their turf, and successfully too.
In fact we can even view this current legal suit as a battle between traditional media and the popular blogging phenomenon sweeping the world. I am sure the world is watching.
Bayi: Your second statement is precisely what I have been churning in my mind. I think it is very interesting to investigate whether the old rules of libel apply to public figures/organizations in the age of the Blog. Still thinking…may post something on this when I’ve got it sorted out.
When I first heard about the suits, the thought that came to my mind was, “It has finally happened!” The undercurrent was so strong over the last few months that one would be insensitive if he has not felt and anticipated this.
And I thought of the NST representing all the values of the conventional mainstream media and Jeff and Rocky representing the changing paradigms brought about by the ever innovative progresses in the world of communication technology that have come knocking on the doors of the mainstream media.
It’s a battle of proxies.
With apology ‘theunspun’ blog owner but do allow me this space and thanking you in advance. I had this posted at Malik Imtiaz’s blog:
Malik, stay focus. While we understand the need for you to reply to some of the posters here, but don’t waste anymore of your time to engage this bunch of people (those from SiPM and muhammad abdullah). And very soon too, few more other names will crop up here as they did at Rocky’s, Jeff’s, Sheih’s, RPK’s and Marina’s.
We are profiling them. Let us be the ones instead, to engage them, not by replying to their spinning for their masters, but exposing and identifying who they really are.
The sooner we ignore and not allowing them this platform to create chaos and disunity among bloggers, the better prepared we are to face the real issue in hand.
Don’t bother to reply us on this, gang of 4 (or should I add on ‘th Floor’ to it?). Our purpose and function is to sniff you all out.
Jeff Ooi & Rocky are no saints but they do need our support to stop any form of victimisation of bloggers.
I left Malaysia beccause I got fed up with the hatred and racialism of the Malay, Chinese and Tamil Malaysians. To be fair, the Punjabi Malaysians also had a similar attitude and the people in power (BN) were the worst offenders. So I hold no brief for any one.
I am glad I left but I am still angry because that attitude split my family (we three brothers and a sister are far apart from each other because they too had to seek other pastures).
We wanted to treat others and be treated as human beings and nothing else, notwithstanding our tertiary qualifications and financial standing.
We are able to do that in our adopted countries and have a lot to be grateful for.
I found Malaysia Today and the other blogs amusing initially but the hatred, contempt and racialism is only thinly disguised and in many cases quite open. That is not healthy and I fear for the land of my birth.
It is your responsibility to tell the truth when you want to engage or communicate with others. That will ensure you receive a fair hearing and respect for your viewpoint even if it is rejected. You might agree that it can even be done in a civil and civilised manner.
It also means that if the truth (not conjecture or fiction) is told, the law will protect you. Otherwise at least protect yourselves by labelling your blogs as “true fiction” so that you will have some sort of defence in law.
Hot issued here !