Arising from a fellow BUMmer's post uploaded today -- by Datuk Ahirudin Attan aka Rockybru whom I knew briefly during my MSM/diplomatic mission days, and later, I had worked closely with as a Blogger organising a few of the Bloggers Universe Malaysia (BUM) annual gatherings to mark World Press Freedom Day which falls on May 3. I posed the Q in the post's title because I may NOT enjoy that consequential publicity expected to follow as I too have made enemies when I engaged one particularly group of bloggers allied to the MCLM -- are they still half-dead or alive?! Hey, many Qs here/hear are rhetorical OK!:) OR :(
Now that Rocky and Desi both hail from mainstream media and online media (referred to as Fourth and Fifth estates respectively, I guess that gives us a better vantage point than most bloggers -- we might have differing viewpoints on certain subjects, our focus being the MEDIA and politics, yet we can carry on any discourse in a civil manner, on the principle that we be agreeable in our disagreement. (Quote for me VOLTAIRE's dictum anywan out dare?)
Rocky was "apologetic" alerting me just 30minutes ago he had to do me a "disservice" by resurrectring an old issue, in the latest hunting ground involving the BN government versus Suaram vis-a-vis George Soros. Well, another blogger who also once worked with me at BUM organising level TONY YEW several months ago referred to me on the same old issue almost 11 years ago when I HAD RESIGNED FROM MALAYSIAKLINI.COM. I told Tony then I would just reiterate what I told whichever media was willing to listen about the "real circumstances" under which I threw in that resignation letter at mkini, but the iuuse was prolonged when the top two guns, especially its CEO, twisted the issue by claiming that YL Chong resigned over "issue regarding his salary/pay". My colleagues then, who comprised among others who are still active in the online media scene, would know the "real reasons" that I left because I had urged the top two guns to go public with the fact that mkini had indeed received funds via a George Soros unit -- through Media Development Loan Fund (MDLF) run by the Open Society Institue (OSI) which is well known as a Soros international unit.
The HIGHLIGHTED PORTION preceded by 5stars OK! -- Desi's no cheapo by ANY account, knot even mkini dollars and sen/SE! -- in Rockybru's post that follows (BOLDED THUS) reflects almost 95% accuracy on my perspectives/opinnions on the Mkini-George-Soros-BN government event:)hat I gave to the interviewer then. ~~~~~
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From rockybru.com.my~~~~~
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012
USAid, Russia and the elements in Malaysia
USAid covertly influencing political processes, says Russia
Russian foreign ministry explains decision to expel the US agency for international development
Miriam Elder in Moscow
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 19 September 2012 12.58 BST
Vladimir Putin has accused the US state department of orchestrating the mass protests that have swept Moscow since he announced his intention to run for the presidency again. Photograph: Alexey Druzhinin/AFP/Getty Images
Russia has accused the US of using its aid agency in Moscow to covertly influence the country's politics and elections, explaining its decision to expel the mission amid a wider crackdown on the opposition movement. ... READ MORE
As A Voice argues in his latest posting SUARAM, and USAid expulsion from Russia, Moscow didn't just blow the USAid's cover, it seems to have opened up our minds to the elements working in our midst. The mainstream media seem to have picked up on the Suaram case in earnest these past few days, something they have ignored for months despite the exposes and deliberations on blogs. If you think those exposes were a pre-occupation of some paid cybertroopers, think again. Some of us remember how YL Chong aka Desiderata, the veteran journo and consummate truth-seeker, blew the cover of Malaysiakini and established its links with Soros way back then. The now-defunct FEER did that, too.
In fact, it was this time last year when Desi reminded us about the foreign funding for Malaysiakini and how its boss had denied it at first! Desi was a news editor with Malaysiakini in 2000 and resigned (or was he forced to?) in protest over the funding "mystery".
*****I was then News Editor, and hence privy to information raised at Mkini's meetings, and I had learned that indeed Mkini had received an initial 10percent down payment of RM188,000 for a 10percent interest in Mkini. At a weekend meeting I told the top two guns--Steven Gan and Premesh Chandran-- they had better come clean by telling the "full story" and not half-truths. I saidf how the investment money came through from George Soros -- direct or indirect -- was not important. The truth was indeed that RM188,000 came as initial investment from MDLF, a Soros unit.
I told them since Mkini flagged itself as promoting transparency and openness, it was not right to hide the fact. I said I had no problem with funding from Soros into the news portal -- as long as we practised ethical journalism. Since the top two guns did not agree with me -- in fact Steven Gan said it would be the death of Malaysiakini if they admitted to receiving this Soros funding! -- I was given Hobson's choice but told them I would hand in my resignation the following Monday (two days later) ... Read More H E R E
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Back to Suaram, I rotfl when I read about the police report they lodged here saying,
"The minister [Ismail Sabri] has misused his power, trying to influence the prosecution process, underestimating the country's legal process and disrupting the ongoing investigation by the CCM."
Dear Theva the Suaram coordinator, Ismail Sabri is the Minister in charge lah, so he is just doing his job. The question is, are you at Suaram allowing yourselves to be used by foreign money and interests to underestimate and disrupt (to borrow your words) the peace and democratic political process of this country?
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