Unspun and Fatih fodder for Malaysian paper; but how about some investigative journalism to solve tense Indonesian-Malaysia ties?

All fine and mildly flattering for the Malaysian newspaper The New Straits Times to quote bloggers like Unspun and Fatih Syuhud but we’re merely bloggers, putting context to raw information that should rightfully be supplied by newspapers.

Instead of practicing armchair journalism the paper might do better to investigate the roots of the Malaysia-Indonesia conflict and give us the raw information on who is Bandera, who funds them and why.

So chop, chop, off your asses and do some journalism instead.

An excerpt from the New Straits Times article headlined Indonesian media, blogs seek end to protests:

The Jakarta Globe on Friday, however, quoted Indonesian National Police spokesman Brig-Gen Iskandar Hasan as saying that despite the offensive nature of their conduct, the demonstrators could not be charged for throwing faeces.

“If there is no article to charge them with, then we cannot charge them.”

This drew the criticism of a blogger (https://theunspunblog.com/ ) who wrote: “If he is right then there is no legal provision whatsoever to charge anyone who throws (faeces) on another person.

“This is great ammunition for protesters who may want to vent their frustrations out at the police themselves for, say, failure to clean house?”

A commentary piece in the Jakarta Post on Friday suggested in a light vein that Malaysia and Indonesia fall back on the traditional Malay way of settling disputes — having a duel of pantun.

The writer, Endy M. Bayun, said: “Before the latest dispute between Indonesia and Malaysia escalates any further, in the spirit of Malay brotherhood, we should hold a pantun war that pits President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono against Prime Minister (Datuk Seri) Najib Razak. Give pantun, and peace, a chance.”

The comment piece was picked up and highlighted by several prominent Indonesian bloggers, including A. Fatih Syuhud who wrote: “I think if both countries really want peace, both of us, Malaysia and Indonesia, should act with honesty. Mutual trust should be there among the conflicting countries.”

via Indonesian media, blogs seek end to protests.