Malays are backward because they are being held back by their religion............

In my negotiations with the MCMC, it was pointed out that the comments rather than my articles were the main problem. If I could assure the authorities that I will control or moderate the comments then they will consider unbanning Malaysia Today. I gave them my assurance that from that day on all comments would be ‘controlled’.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Some of you may remember that at 6.00pm on 26th August 2008, Malaysia Today was blocked and for about two weeks no one in Malaysia could access the site. Those outside Malaysia could still read Malaysia Today though.



Over those two weeks, I met up with officials from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to try to get them to unblock Malaysia Today.



The complaint against Malaysia Today was not regarding any of my articles but about some of the comments that were posted in the site. We do not know who posted these comments. In fact, they could have even been posted by Umno cyber-troopers.



Nevertheless, the comments were considered offensive and, subsequently, Malaysia Today was ‘banned’.



Now, who interprets whether the comments are offensive or not? Well, the government of course.



If Ibrahim Ali says that the Chinese are too much, biadap (insolent), and are inviting another May 13, to you and me that may be offensive but to the government that may be quite an acceptable statement.



Then, if I say that the Malays are backward because they are being held back by their religion, to you and me that may be a fact but the government may view that statement as an insult to Islam and will take action against me (which they did, mind you).



So it does not take much to get Malaysia Today banned. One ‘planted’ comment is all it takes and we all will lose Malaysia Today forever.



In my negotiations with the MCMC, it was pointed out that the comments rather than my articles were the main problem. If I could assure the authorities that I will control or moderate the comments then they will consider unbanning Malaysia Today.



I gave them my assurance that from that day on all comments would be ‘controlled’.



Malaysia Today was subsequently unblocked. However, the following day, the police came to my house to detain me under the Internal Security Act. Of my many so-called ‘crimes’ that warranted my detention, some of them were the comments in Malaysia Today.



What I have never told you before (until now, that is) is that 26 other Malaysians also suffered retaliation. The police went to their house or office and confiscated their computer. They were also summoned to the police station. One person was charged under the Sedition Act.



Today, we are trying to relax things a bit. While you can still register to comment, whereby your comments get published immediately, you can also post comments without registering.



However, they will need to be approved first -- or rejected, as the case may be.



Why are we now relaxing things a bit? Because the next general election will soon be upon us and we may need to allow more discourse and debate.



Nevertheless, we still can’t allow a total free-for-all. This would be giving a ‘licence’ to the Umno cyber-troopers to kill Malaysia Today with planted comments. And 2008 has shown us that this is not only possible but was in fact done before.



The problem with this, though, is that this may cause some delay because the moderators need to first read your comments before they will appear on the site. All our moderators are volunteers who can afford a mere few hours a day with so many other commitments to meet.



You can, of course, avoid this delay if you register. But if you do not wish to register then I hope you will bear with the delay.

Comments (31)...

written by JJFoo, September 20, 2011 22:34:40

RPK, that's a brilliant move, thoughtful as usual and steady as a rock. Thanks. ...

written by Jonathan JSK, September 20, 2011 22:33:37

Thanks for the privilege RPK & team.

To all commentators and would be commentators, I believe that if the desire to comment is tempered with a real necessity of saying something and the ability to say it in a way that adds value to the discourse, then the moderators will have no reason to censure. Learning when to speak is as important as knowing what and how to speak it. Cheers ..

written by nikisme, September 20, 2011 22:32:01

Met you and Marina at Holborn last year, after attending your talk. Back on the home truf now. Well, the change we all want won't happen, IMHO. ...

written by Student , September 20, 2011 22:31:40

Just to say, I do enjoy article posted here not necessarily informative but rather sarcastic . ..

written by confuseus 2.0, September 20, 2011 22:30:34

Nice move, Pet. We meet again

I did register thru paypal and email but got no reply.



Anyway, welcome home soon.

I am trying to lobby you to be either MCMC or MACC DG ...

written by Ibn Abd Halim, September 20, 2011 22:29:35

MT is yours. You decide, we abide. Fair! ...

written by RoboKop, September 20, 2011 22:27:35

Greatest move ever... RPK my Lord ...

written by T.ROY, September 20, 2011 22:24:53

Finally, I can post my comment. Don't hv paypal, not even cc . Been reading MT as my daily paper for years. I bet The Star will sure miss me. ...

written by Yamamoto, September 20, 2011 22:19:24

Ok then ..it is open season to all and sundry to make certain this government that sold this country to the Indons, Banglas and Filipinos is going to get the whipping of their lives for using every bit of power to cling on even if it means selling this country by printing ICs ....



The next Bukit Kepong will be at Bukit Aman.. ...

written by Ocassey, September 20, 2011 22:14:06

I may be considered and branded unpatriotic , seditious , blasphemous , a traitor and even ISAed by the ruling power of the day BUT when the old and long surviving treasonous plundering regime is replaced in due time then this mange "dog" may yet have its day and be considered as a "freedom worrior fighter " for the ANAK MALAYSIA !

Thus it is "BERSIH ! BERSIH ! BERSIH ! " for now until then !



Great to have a platform provided by our beloved RPK ! Our geysers will shoot much,much higher then those found in the Northern Island of N. Zealand ! ...

written by Lain-Lain, September 20, 2011 22:13:25

Syabas! ...

written by Khan, September 20, 2011 22:13:10

YM RPK



Thanks for clarifying on posting comments in MToday. When I heard that all comments will be moderated, I got disheartened a bit as only in MToday, we are free to say our piece without being censored and real time update of our comments. Try posting comments in Malaysian Insider...they would mostly not appear or there will be a great time lag from the time u post it to the time it gets approved and published.



I am glad that you are keeping the option of real time publishing of comments for registered users. Thank you RPK and on our part, we will strive to maintain decorum.



p.s. For the 1st time ever, my comments were censored in MToday relating to the article on Anwar refusing to comment on his alleged apartment visit with Eskay but may be I may have gone too overboard in degrading him. Sorry YM RPK... ..

written by yunu, September 20, 2011 22:09:24

"All our moderators are volunteers" - are they all angels ?

You may have more problems than you can handle if they reject too many bona fide comments too often. Your readers may desert you. I for one would like to know what you have culled and rejected. If someone publishes all those comments you have rejected, he may establish a new MT2. Far fetched? ...

written by eupara, September 20, 2011 22:07:37

this is a good start! ..

written by rvnrbts, September 20, 2011 22:03:22

Finally, been waiting for ages to post comment on MT Always been a lurker due to the lack of a paypal account. God bless you Pete! ...

written by PapaGomoi, September 20, 2011 22:01:29

You rock, sir! ...

written by alfred ho, September 20, 2011 21:59:12

thanks for allowing registered readers to make comments on your blog once again. as i have stated before if your readers are serious in bringing change in malysia, then i strongly feel that those who make comments on your blog should reveal their true identities instead of hiding behind ficticious names. alfred ho ...

written by losyot, September 20, 2011 21:34:45

Hi, I guess we will be seeing a lot of Super Admin rebuttals from now on..

Well, that is expected with the opening of the floodgates...

written by Tonberry, September 20, 2011 21:33:09

well, i m back ...

written by doggone, September 20, 2011 21:19:30

I have enjoyed posting my comments and photoshopped images since a friend recommended M2D to me. Some wicked, some funny but most of all it offer us a channel to release some of our pent up tension. For without, we might strap firecrackers to our body and try to blow up Nalip's tyres.. ...

written by Super Admin, September 20, 2011 21:12:57

Chiam, interesting comment -- if only I knew what you are trying to say. ..

written by Chiam, September 20, 2011 21:09:35

If you can give you must be able to take it.. That is the problem with mi .. They can't hOld water beside me .. So they influence the public with their propaganda .. It's the same here mate .. Nevertheless .. I have been waiting for this day .. I would love to see the capacity of these precious few that lurk within mt .. It's gonna be like stealing candy from a kid .. The Silent majority you teabaggers believe to have .. Will be proven otherwise .. ...

written by temenggong, September 20, 2011 21:06:31

None of my comments are seditious, or slander, or subversive.

It is just irritating. ...

written by Eugene Chan Keng Swee, September 20, 2011 21:06:15

Dumb the BN ! ..

written by Tompios, September 20, 2011 21:01:51

Tuanku RPK,

Never lost M2Day since August 2006! Thanks again for the privilege. ...

written by Pravin, September 20, 2011 21:00:32

Hello Pete..thanks! ..

written by Kong Ming, September 20, 2011 20:56:19

It is the best gift for a valued reader. ...

written by malchindian, September 20, 2011 20:50:56

Am I going to get into trouble yelling "bersih" here then? Aiyo! ...

written by norani63, September 20, 2011 20:43:47

I comment when I feel like it and always be sensible. ...

written by ibabonma, September 20, 2011 20:31:00

Well, I will just comment as usual. Thanks heaven. ...

written by Voter get Voters 1, September 20, 2011 20:30:53

'26 other Malaysians were summoned by the police' for comments seem unfavourable or seditious to umno.

Oh dear ... I better behave then.

BN is the 'best' Goverment in the World. We must be grateful that BN revoked or watever the much feared & hated ISA.

And I shall always vote for BN .........................to be dumped into the annals of history.