Unspun

Does Malaysians Unplugged need to be unspunned?


Unspun was rather surprised and felt like genuflecting to the heavens with “I’m not worthy” pleas when Mat Salo posted a comment saying that The Alter Ego’s name had been mentioned in the list of Umno’s enemies whom UMNO Youth Deputy Chief, Khairy Jamaluddin denounced as monyet (monkeys).

Moi? Being named side-by-side with Malaysia’s uber bloggers? No way. So I went to Malaysians Unplugged and was shocked/flattered/amused. Sure enough, there was a list of Malaysian names and The Alter Ego’s name was the fifth name in the first paragraph, next to the big names in the Malaysian blogosphere. The list also provoked many angry comments from readers against Khairy, sometimes for identifying them personally as monyet.

unplugged.jpg

“Wow!”Unspun thought. If this is true then Umno Youth must be more desperate and stupid than Unspun has given them credit for. Surely, there was no basis for listing so many names, since a lot of them – like Unspun’s blog – has limited readership and influence (only ranked 46,575 on Technorati). Why would they do that? Something does not smell right.

Unspun looked closer at the posting and realized that there was no attribution of where the list came from.

Hmmm. Curious. So Unspun e-mailed Malaysians Unplugged himself and asked where the list came from. A reply came shortly after:

KJ refers to ALL Malaysian bloggers as ‘monyet’.

Quote ‘”It seems that there is no law in cyberspace anymore. It is the law of the jungle and we need to take action against one monkey. I think the other monkeys will also get scared .” — Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin, 28 July 2007

Read comments of malaysian bloggers here – http://aisehman.org/?p=195 and http://malaysianunplug.blogspot.com/2007/07/umno-youth-deputy-chief-khairy_29.html

Your blog is considered a Malaysian blog. The list is based on websites blogging primarily on malaysian issues. Only blogs with KNOWN owners were listed. The list is not exclusive, the list ends with ‘etc’

Hmmm. Curiouser. Unspun‘s question was not answered, so Unspun emailed him again with the question:

I understand what KJ is saying. what I want to know is who drew up the list – KJ, Umno, someone else? and how you got to know about that list?

Being a former journalist I like to trace information to their source to verify facts.

Would appreciate if you an let me know 🙂

Silence. Curiouser. and Curiouser still. So the old journo training kicked in and Unspun made a call to a journalist contact in Malaysia who would know about such things. He said there was no such list.

Is it possible that Malaysians Unplugged accidentally juxtaposed his own list in such a way that it looked like the list originated from Khairy? If so, that would not be very ethical. I can understand why people do not like Khairy but fair is fair. If he or Umno Youth did not come up with that list then Unplugged needs to be unspunned and he needs to apologize to Khairy and bloggers for creating the impression that Khairy and his boys came with the list.

If, however, it is a genuine Umno Youth list then Unplugged should give the rest of us more information so that we can rest assured that it is precisely NOT what the Malaysian Government is criticizing some bloggers of doing: fabricating. That would be sad because it would erode the credibility that some of the bloggers have worked so hard to gain. And it would make the rest of us who rushed to react to the impression given by the posting feel like we’ve been had.

Well Unplugged?

unspun
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9 responses to “Does Malaysians Unplugged need to be unspunned?”

  1. Fateh Avatar
    Fateh

    I checked in after your comment. i think you misread his blog or you read too much into it. malaysianunplug did not intend to say khairy made that list. of course he did not. but all malaysianbloggers know khairy refer to them as monkeys. also the blog. the blog says malaysian bloggers bracket . and the list is not with the earlier article.

    as i read, the list is not part of the article by bernama

    since you are indonesian blog may be you can ask him to remove your name

    i think you are wrong to assume malaysianunplug wanted to say khairy gave that list. the list are all malaysian bloggers except you maby

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  2. unspun Avatar
    unspun

    Fateh: You are not wrong and the way it is written it gives rise to much ambiguity. I believe it is not an overt attempt to mislead.At the same time, if you look at some of the comments in Unplugged and mat Selo’s comment, you’d have to conclude that many readers would be forgiven for thinking that the list came from Khairy or his boys.

    So the sin here may be one of bad writing rather than an attempt to mislead.

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  3. Malaysian Unplug Avatar
    Malaysian Unplug

    Mr. Ong Hock Chuan/UNSPUN

    The previous reader had answered your questions. We need not to say more.

    As journaists ourselves, we appreciate your feedback nonthetheless,.

    But, please do read blogs ( these are blogs, not some newswires) in context of surrounding issues which are already in the public domain.

    For your information, we responded to your email DIRECTLY (which we normally don’t) with all sincerity to clarify to you,as another fellow blogger/journalist, your concerns, not knowing you intend to use and quote our direct one-to-one communication in your blog and , the way we see it, with intent, unwittingly, to disparage what we had posted.

    We admit we erred in classifying you as one of the Malaysian bloggers.

    By the way, we did NOT receive your second email which you wrote in your blog which you said you had sent.

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  4. unspun Avatar
    unspun

    Unplug: Why is it that journalists are incredibly thin-skinned when the same standards of scrutiny and critique they use on politicians and other public figures are imposed on themselves?

    The issue here, now that it is obvious that the list originated from you and not Khairy or Umno Youth, is whether you had unwittingly created a false impression through a juxtapositioning of facts.

    In your posting you first quoted a Bernama report citing Khairy calling bloggers “monyet”. Then, in the next sentence you said: “NOTE: The Malaysian bloggers (ie ‘Monyets/Monkeys’ as classified by UMNO Youth Deputy Chief, Khairy Jamaluddin,) are :…

    Admittedly, there is some ambiguity with the phrasing but as you point out, you are journalists. And journalists are trained in using precise language and avoiding juxtapositioning facts in such a way that it creates a false impression.

    So what do we have? We have a posting that creates the impression that Khairy and Umno has compiled a blacklist of names.

    As I said before, it is understandable to rant against Khairy. I have not met the man in person but from all I have seen and heard, he is unlikeable and prone to dishonest arguments using underhanded techniques of rhetoric such as labeling (such as monyet).

    Criticize him all you want, as other bloggers have done. It is your right and perhaps even your responsibility as citizens to unspin his rhetoric. But it is unfair to create the perception that he’s got a blacklist if he hasn’t.

    I do not mind being classified as a Malaysian blogger. My status as a Malaysian abroad who is blogging gives rise to an ambiguity that I can live with.

    I am honored that you made an exception to your policy of not directly replying to people. The main intent here is not to disparage but to seek some fairness, even to Khairy, and to perhaps some deluded and idealistic notion of the truth.

    Getting things right matters, especially when you are faced by people like Khairy and government officials who have no understanding of the new media. If you don’t, you only give ammunition to them to criticize and try to clamp down on bloggers.

    Finally, I do read blogs and I do know the difference between blogs and newswires. I also know that posting on blogs is not an excuse for lower standards of accuracy and writing that may lead to a misrepresentation of the facts.

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  5. Malaysian Unplug Avatar
    Malaysian Unplug

    Mr. Ong Hock Chuan/unplug

    We would not go into the polemics of your comments above and your ‘holier than thou’ ethics of a journalist. We know what we are doing and if what we wrote is wrongly interprete by you, so be it. We would have received a barrage of complaints otherwise.

    We fully respect for viewpoint and nobility of your outlook as a journalist and your criticisms of other journalists.

    We adopt a format and approach different from your Unspun blog, if you may realise that.

    Given your reservations, we have strike-out your name from the list in the blog (btw, if Khairy had made that list, we would have said so and also we ensure that we reference our postings to others as far as possible in almost all the articles).

    Thank you for letting us speak on your blog.

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  6. unspun Avatar
    unspun

    Unplugged: Thanks for taking time to engage in this discussion.

    I suppose we’ve both said our piece and it is now up to readers to decide for themselves whether my misinterpretation of your posting is one that could be expected of a reasonable person with a fair command of the English language.

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  7. Mat Salo Avatar
    Mat Salo

    Looks like it’s been cleared up. Frankly there was some ambiguity on the list purportedly drawn up by Khairy. In the uncharted territory of the new media, bloggers – just like their print journos, must strive for accuracy in what they blog about. Yes, let’s not give the detractors more “ammo”…

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  8. yapchongyee Avatar
    yapchongyee

    My name is yapchongyee and my blogg is @ httpyapchongyee.blogspot.com. I am most unflattered & sad that my name is not mentioned in the above list. I have been CHARGING JUDGE ZAINON BIINTI MOHD. ALI of the Federal Court of Appeal of Malaysia with committing the many criminal offences to wit :,

    (1)aiding & abetting three 3 criminals namely,Stephen Lim Cheng Ban, Wong Kem Chen & Kwong Sea Yoon in a conspiracy to commit PERJURY & FORGERY,
    (2)aiding & abetting said three criminals to obtain money from my wife Lim Choi Yin in the sum of RM.60,000 under FALSE PRETENCES on the pretext that the said sum of RM60,000 was to provide security for costs under a Court Order awarded to said 3 criminals Stephen Lim Cheng Ban, Wong Kem Chen & Kwong Sea Yoon by Judge Zainon binti Mohd. Ali, when as events later PROVED AND EVENTUATED said sum of RM60,000 was taken by said respondents FOR THEIR OWN USE AND NOT FOR THE PURPOSE AS STATED UNDER THE TERMS OF SAID ORDER ie. FOR THE PURPOSE OF complying with Judge Zainon binti Mohd. Ali’s order that Petitioner Lim Choi Yin provide security for costs RM.60,000. THE PROOF THAT RESPONDENTS TOOK THE MONEY UNDER FALSE PRETENCES IS THAT JUDGE ZAINON BINTI MOHD. ALI later made a 2nd Order FORBIDDING A TRIAL OF THE PETITION WHILE THE MONEY rm.60,000 WAS IN THE POSSESSION OF SAID CRIMINALS.

    NO TRIAL MEANS NO COSTS AND NO COSTS MEANS NO SECURITY FOR COSTS. Judge Zainon binti Mohd. Ali is co-conspirator. AIDED & ABETTED THE commission of the crime of obtaining money under false pretences IS EVIDENCED BY THE FACT THAT AT THE TIME OF MAKING OF THE ORDER FOR STRIKING OUT OF SAID PETITION SHE KNEW THAT SHE HAD NO AUTHORITY TO AWARD HER 2ND ORDER FOR STRIKING OUT WHEN THE 1ST ORDER FOR SECURITY FOR COSTS WAS IN FACT ENFORCED BY THE RESPONDENTS.

    (3)Judge Zainon binti Mohd. Ali is also co-conspirator to the commission of FRAUD,

    (4)Judge Zainon binti Mohd. Ali committed subornation of Perjury.

    I HAVE CHALLENGED JUDGE ZAINON BINTI MOHD. ALI TO COME TO PERTH OR SINGAPORE TO CLEAR HER NAME BY APPLYING FOR MY EXTRADITION FOR SEDITION OR LIBEL FOR CHARGING HER FOR THE ABOVE SEVERAL CRIMINAL OFFENCES BUT THAT CHICKEN SHIT JUDGE ZAINON BINTI MOHD ALI KNOWS THAT SHE HAS COMMITTED THESE CRIMES THAT I HAVE CHARGED HER FOR COMMITTING, AND THEREFORE DARES NOT COME TO CLEAR HER NAME. WHAT KING OF JUDGE IS SHE FOR COMMITTING THESE CRIMES ?

    YES JUDGE ZAINON BINTI MOHD. ALI COME TO A PROPER COURT OF LAW IN PERTH OR SINGAPORE AND SUE ME OR APPLY FOR MY EXTRADITION.

    This must be my 10th challenge but where is that chicken shit Judge Zainon binti Mohd. Ali ?

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  9. yap.chongyee Avatar
    yap.chongyee

    TWO OPTIONS FOR MALAYSIA’S MINORITY RACES
    (1)MIGRATION (2)SUPPORT THE OPPOSITION

    I would compare the political & social conditions existing in Malaysia for minorities today to be similar to that existing in Uganda. What has developed and still is in the process of developing in the evolution of Uganda towards that of a failed state, is also what is happening in Malaysia, an uncanny resemblance one failed state to another; and the core issues of these national tragedies are the jealousy, envy and the total lack of moral and ethical values of the DOMINANT MALAYS and their totally naïve belief that Malaysia belong to the Malays. The modern concept of the nation state is that all men who are citizens of the nation enjoy the same status; in this sense, therefore Malaysia is still feudal; and therefore in this sense Malaysia is a good 200 years pre-modern.

    If we accept, as we Chinese & Indians are called upon to accept by the Malays, that Malaysia belong to the Bumiputras and all others are not truly Malaysians, then we have accepted that we can never ever be citizens of Malaysia; and that being the case then why not migrate to Australia if you qualify to obtain migrant status ? The government of Western Australia has asked the Federal Government to allow for the entry of 400,000 migrants over a 10 year period; I have lived in Australia for since 1978 and I vow that Australia is the best country to live in and bring up your children… come to Australia and be happy !

    This year is like no other year because for the last 50 years of fucking Merdeka, we Chinese had no choice but to support UMNO or be die in another racial riot LIKE IN “513”; this by the way is what I read in the Star.com.my when this fucking MCA Wanita(don’t know her fucking name) has again threatened the Chinese that we should all vote MCA of get our head blown in another full blown “513”. This is what we Chinese in Malaysia face, another fear mongering from the shit face in the MCA & MIC to support them or get fucked by the fucking Malays. Do not fear this fucking bullshit ! There just cannot be another “513”, because Malaysia is already seen as not a very profitable to do business and if you have another “513” then that will push foreign capital to Thailand or Vietnam. Do not fear; you just cannot live on fear alone like you have been doin for the past 50 years; living like fucking scared rabbits.

    This year is special because this year as opposed to all the other 50 years of nightmare that we Chinese have been living through, we have an UMNO that is led by a bunch of INCOMPETANT SECONDARY SCHOOL GRADUATES; not to say that all other previous UMNO leaders are anything that might be of sounder material (minds); but only that this time around, we have a PRIME MINISTER who is more like brain dead; yes PM Abdullah fucking SLEEPS ALL THE TIME IN PARLIAMENT. Why do you think he is set to call a snap election ? It is obvious that he knows that he is going to loose this election. I call upon all my Chinese brothers to vote totally for DAP instead of fucking MCA. VOTE DAP OR EVEN PARTI KEADILAN (hope I got that right) you know that coalition of DAP & Keadilan (led by Dato Sri Anwar.

    I call for total unity of our Malaysian Chinese & Indians and we will be able to win this election. UMNO had been the fucking Malaysian gov’t for the last 50 years and what did it do for our Chinese people ? Not a fucking thing ! In fact the rights of the Chinese had eroded away 80% of the rights that we had at the time of the fucking Merdeka. All this time our fucking scared rabbit Chinese have voted for the fucking MCA who are traitors of the Chinese from the first days of fucking Merdeka. Look at what you have today, all the pleces in Chinese medium schools are going to fucking Malays because in the “GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS” the teachers who teach there are 90% Malays, and we all know that the fucking Malays are no fucking bloody good at MATHS or for that matter not fucking good at anything at all. I was in KL for this fucking case that this fucking Judge Zainon binti Mohd. Ali is the presiding Judge, and incidentally I took a copy of my grand-nephew’s school text on literature and holla ! what do I see ? On literature for Shakespear’s plays, there was a book of some 40 pages of all his plays and they are compressed into 6 or 7 pages of Macbeth, Merchant of Venice (8 pages).

    The Malaysian Education Elites think that learning Shakespears plays is to just know what the story is all about, and to make the story short, the fucking Malays just cannot understand “OLD” English so they compressed these plays into story, thus fucking totally missing the point of reading Shakespear’s plays. It is true and I can hear the Malays saying that Shakespear is no big deal, yes but then why learn Shakespear at
    all ? This Malay attidute is so fucking “MALAY”, just like what passed for judge Zainon binti Mohd. Ali’s judgment for “striking out” SHE DOES NOT KNOW THE MEANING OF “NO CAUSE OF ACTION” so she just postpones the hearing for 8 years and then at the end of 8 years she had to strike out because she still did not get any smarter ( a real mud-head Judge who does not know the law).

    We have in Malaysia a judiciary that is just fucking brain dead because they just do not have the requisite fluency of the English language to know what the law is and so they do just anything right or wrong, law or no law. Malaysia is a failed state and you my Chinese brothers are fucking living in it. What goes on in the government is out of the reach of the MCA or MIC because lets us face the truth, the Chinese of MCA or the Indians of the MIC has no speaking rights in this fucking BARISAN ALLIANCE. You fucking MCA or MIC are just NOTHING. The Indians were spared the PARANG ATTACKS OF 513, and they thought they were the brothers of the Malays, but now they know that they have been so fucking indispensable that for all this time they were spared from the Malay “KRIS” or PARANG, now that they have been merely speaking out to voice their helpless plight, the fucking Malays attack them with their Kris and Parangs. Hey Indians ! stick with the Chinese and vote for DAP or Keadilan.

    I SAY TO MY FUCKING CHINESE BROTHERS AND INDIANS, WE ARE ALL IN THIS FUCKING CRAZY BOAT THAT IS DRIVEN BY FUCKING UMNO, and we need to BRING ABOUT CHANGE ! Any change is better than those 50 years of fucking nightmare for us Chinese & Indians.

    VOTE DAP, KEADILAN…. Or VOTE OPPOSITION !

    Yap.chongyee@yahoo.com or Read my blog at : http://yapchongyee.blogspot.com

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