In an interview with The Star , Communications and multimedia minister Datuk Seri Mohd Salleh Said Keruak said the Communications And Multimedia Commission Act 1998 amendment bill would be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat in October, under which “news portals” might need to be registered with the government.
He said he would look at the structural aspects of MCMC and at amendments to tackle issues such as pornography, online gambling, IS threats, etc.
He also said MCMC might be given the power to block sites deemed to be threatening national security and stability.
Given Putrajaya ‘s past guarantee of no internet censorship policy, the repressive move to curb media freedom is clearly another desperate response by the government amid the 1 MDB issue related allegations against the Prime Minister and 1 MDB.
When the government decided to block whistle blower site Sarawak Report, the basic question that was asked and which the government has not been able to answer till today is why block and not resort to legal action if the site has published false news and statements?
The questions that must be asked today are: –
1. why the need to register the online news portals when they are already required to register with Companies Commission of Malaysia?
2. The 1948 sedition act was amended by Parliament early this year and “electronic media” has now been included in the law. The minimum penalty for the offenders has been increased to 3 years. Isn’t that enough for the government to take action against online media? Why does the government want to have more “bites” to curb the freedom of the cyber space?
3. there are existing laws to deal pornography, online gambling, IS threats, so why the new move that will actually threaten media freedom?
It is most worrying that Mohd Salleh has said that MCMC might be given the power to block sites deemed to be threatening national security and stability.
The draconian Internal Security Act was misused and abused so often before its repeal with the “national security and stability “justification and the new proposal will only mean more misuse and abuse of the cyber laws by the government that cannot be trusted.
On May 27 last year, when speaking at the National Press Club awards, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak pledged to preserve the Internet as a medium for free debate and open discussion, saying that he welcomed informed and constructive criticisms while backing the empowerment of journalists to hold government and corporations to account.
He was reported to say: “I have given my firm commitment to preserving the internet as a medium for free debate and open discussion. Online, and on social media, Malaysians daily exercise their right to comment and criticise.
“This, too, is part of the democratic process. In a democracy, there will always be people who disagree with your policies, or disapprove of your government. I welcome criticism which is informed and constructive.”
So why the move to attack democracy now? Has personal political survival become so important?
DAP will certainly fight against the government’s proposal when it is tabled in Parliament. In the mean time, Malaysians should show their “massive rejection” of the proposal via forums and the social media.