Did Minister Zam Finally See Some Light?

Do bloggers see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel leading up to Angkasapuri, finally?

I was a little lighted up on seeing the news on Page N12 in The Star today.



There is some hope of a confluence of views at a middle ground between the Minister in charge of Information/Propaganda and the media, including both the traditional that is represented by the mainstream/traditional (Fourth Estate) and the new Internet-based including the blogosphere (Fifth Estate). Finally after much and several ballistic exchanges between minister Zainuddin Maidin aka Zam and seemingly antagonistic Bloggers. We await with some hope another Zam's minister Tengku Adnan Mansor to perhaps see the new light of realisation that Bloggers are indeed not "a threat", in Zam's considered conclusion, for now.



So my EsteemedReaders (ER), here goes:

Wednesday May 23, 2007

Zam: Few people read blogs

KUALA LUMPUR: Political web blogs have a very small following of about 20,000 people, Information Minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin said.

“Only that number out of the 11 million Internet users in the country are actively involved in political blogs. The political bloggers just write for each other to read; they are not a threat,” he added.

Zainuddin reminded bloggers of their responsibilities in maintaining harmony among Malaysia’s multiracial society.

“They should not try to incite the people,” he said after launching the Malaysian Press Institute’s (MPI) new logo and witnessing the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the institute and the United Kingdom’s Thomson Foundation. The foundation works towards improving communication around the world.

MPI was represented by its acting chairman Datuk Chamil Wariya and Thomson Foundation by its head of regional partnerships Russel Lyne.

He said bloggers, being the so-called “citizen journalists,” must not abuse the freedom given by the Government and must be responsible in their writings and actions so as not to jeopardise unity among the people.

Zainuddin advised the public not to be influenced by the negative views of certain bloggers about the Government.

Earlier in his speech, Zainuddin said media practitioners and bloggers had their own roles in developing the nation through their writings.

"Lately, I found that most of the bloggers have the tendency to question the basis of the social contract which had been agreed upon by our forefathers,” he said.

On the publication of a book on May 13 by former Petaling Jaya MP Dr Kua Kia Soong, Zainuddin said the book would only serve to arouse anxiety among multiracial Malaysians.
"Some issues raised in the book can harm the social contract that has been well-received by the Malays, Chinese and Indians,” he added.

DESI: "Only that number (20,000) out of the 11 million Internet users in the country are actively involved in political blogs. The political bloggers just write for each other to read; they are not a threat,” Zam was quoted by The Star as saying.

Coupled with this line "Zainuddin advised the public not to be influenced by the negative views of certain bloggers about the Government," I believe it is safe to infer "certain" implied a few in number -- hence not a threat -- belong to the "negative" category. So Blogosphere can sleep easier tonight and I guess the speaking aloud to "register and classify" Bloggers as propfessional or non-professional proposal by Zam is cold-storaged, and Bloggers also can take a breather or a long nap?

Desi has viewed with concern and alarm many of Zam's postulations and pronouncements about Bloggers, especially the Socio-Political ones, the recent past which indicated the ministers were "clueless" about what constituted the blogosphere.

However, Zam's refernce to the "May 13" book recently launched does worry Desi as Barisan Nasional politicains are not enamoured with Dr Kua Kia Soong's latest book. I recall here that Deputy Editor at theSUN, famous for his regular Citizen Nades column, was reported by Guest Blogger Din Merican as having said something of concern at last Saturday's Bloggers Gathering that: "Nadeswaran reminded us that the government could be heavy handed with bloggers and journalists critical of Badawi personally and of his Administration. He pointed out that the Special Branch could literally turn up “in the middle of night and take you away from your family,” using “disrupting national unity” as the pretext.

So while I can sleep lighter, I won't sleep with absolute certainty of peace as long as legislation like the I.S.A. hand over media practitioner's heads like Damocles' sword. Maybe the fourth and fifth estates can work hand-in-hand towards the abolition of such repressive laws, plus the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) 1984.

Lust word from this knotty hoRst! My dear ER. have you read my poem I.S.A. nyet? No? Then travel to INTIMATIONS (Updated!:)