Leading Bloggers to Share Thoughts

at the forthcoming May 19, 2007 forum at the Lake View Club, Subang Jaya, discussing, among others: "THAT the media environment under the present Administration is more open than under the previous Administration." (See TOP OF THIS PAGE, surf to bum2007.wordpress.com).


The Confirmed Speakers at the Gala Bloggers Gathering are:

Jeff Ooi
Marina Mahathir
Tony Pua
Tian Chua and
R. Nadeswaran .



The Brief to the Speakers is:

"...sharing your thoughts based on your field of
activity and expertise and experience.

Please also touch on stating if you agree OR disagree with the
following statement:

"THAT the media environment under the present
Prime Minister Pak Lah's Administration is more open
and liberal than under the previous Administration
underDr Mahathir Mohamad."

One Special Speaker Ahirudin Attan aka Rockybru will speak on The National Alliance of Bloggers.

The Blogospheric Explosion is upon us.
And some donkeys know not it's a borderless world.
Terrestrial. Cyber.
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
Please grow up.
Please get out form that Katak dibawah tempurong mentality.

Embrace and Engage.

Yes, pay RM30 for May 19 Do at the Lake View Club and learn somethin' from some more informed parties.
You can contribute your 3sen worth too, like Desi:)
If you arse Desi what's awe about, how about LOOKING TO TOP OF THIS PAGE,
you webbog ignoramus ... okay, pay RM30 to sign up-lah, I'm stop my rant hear!


Come one, come all to the gala Bloggers United Malaysia 2007 Gathering of the year. For detaels how to get dare, surf to
bum2007.wordpress.com.


"The seven-member Org Com promise thee an exciting
FUN evening, with confirmed HI-profile speakers
to prick thy mind, and you pick theirs.



Dear EsteemedReaders -- Your role is to be an active participant!

Jest be there sharp at 6.00pm on May 19, 2007 or you
may have to stand throughout (kidding!:)
Okay, be punctual to maximise mileage for
a rare Forum targeted mainly for Malaysian Bloggers.

After working out thy precious brains --just don't throw
chairs-lah!:) -- we replenish thy wickedly tired bodies
with KampongKu Buffet Dinner.
And thanks to the supportive Lake View Club boss, Datuk Soh
Chee Wen, he's generously thrown in TWO ROAST LAMBS
gratis.

LVC's contact Sdr Lee Chai Huat -- my Chinese ex-Press kaki,or my ex-Chinese Press kaki, or more patriotically, my ex-Malaysian Chinese press kaki, hey Cronies everywhere, usefool eh? -- also assured that the
management will do up the decor to make the event a "Grand" affair!"

Okay after the commercial break, back to the Blogospehre much in the nu'es these days.
:
:
:

***It's stolen from Raja Petra's, but steal, it's worth your bedtime -- or badtime? -- read. Mind explosion, or expansion, for 10 minutes, the max, it's actually up to YOU.

YOU -- Time's Person of the Year 2006 -- I'd nominate thee again for the same title in the good year of our lord awe, 2ohohSE7EN, if you just click on PAYMENT at bum2007.wordpress.com. Othervice, I no give thee Roast Lamb!

***starts now:

18/04: Malaysia’s Mahathir defends bloggers
Category: General Posted by: Raja Petra
Agence France-Presse

Malaysia's former premier Mahathir Mohamad Wednesday emerged as an unlikely champion for the country's bloggers, arguing they provide a valuable source of news.

Mahathir, who in recent months has complained he was being censored by mainstream media, said people were turning to blogs and online news journals because of Malaysia's tightly controlled media.

"There is no doubt that bloggers have provided us with an alternative source of news. By and large, they have been responsible," Mahathir said after speaking at a conference on the media and national development.

"At the moment, with the atmosphere prevailing in the country, many people are turning to the bloggers for news," he said.

"That is what the government should learn, if you suppress news then the alternative source will gain credence," said the former leader, whose daughter Marina has her own blog.

The comments from Mahathir, criticized for suppressing press freedoms during his 22-year tenure, come amid unprecedented defamation suits against two well-known bloggers by the government-linked New Straits Times Press.

Malaysian bloggers have also come under fire from Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his ministers, who accused them of spreading lies and have threatened punishment and tighter controls on Internet use.

Mahathir said certain measures were still needed to control press freedom, but they should not be abused just to stop criticism of the government.

"In Malaysia, when I talk about the press, people keep saying 'in your time you were worse', but I say I wasn't that bad," said Mahathir.

"As far as I'm concerned, it is worse [now]. If I say certain things that are critical, it may not get published. This is unhealthy," he said.

Steven Gan, the co-founder and editor of Malaysiakini.com, Malaysia's first online news journal, lauded Mahathir's realization of the value of alternative news sources.

Malaysiakini was banned from government press functions and had its offices raided during Mahathir's administration.

"I just wished that he would have said the same thing when he was prime minister," Gan said.

_________________________________________________________________

DESI (Thinking Allowed): The highlights (THUS BOLDED) in the AFP report are mine.
Frankly, I just hope and pray that both Dr Mahathir and Steven Gan believe in and practise what they preach. Okay, that applies to this blardy Blogger -- and awe other Bloggers -- too. -- Amen.

PS: I don't know if I will have sweet dreams or nightmare tonight. IT's now 11.13pm.