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April 26, 2006
Pressing Times
It is supposedly a new era of openness, and some would claim that here is the proof:
- Open letter by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad
- Statement by Tan Sri Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak
If only the letter had been published earlier, these words would not sound so hollow:
"This is what openness is all about; everybody says what they want. I tell my ministers that they should not be upset with the various criticisms directed at them and their ministries.
"It is better to know. It is dangerous if you don’t know because it might explode right in your face," he said. [New Straits Times]
The press, and its freedom, should be at the top of the Prime Minister's reform agenda if he were truly serious about openness.
I have some friends in the media, and it's clear to me that not everybody gets to say what they want, least of all the people who should be allowed to do so.
Posted by aisehman at April 26, 2006 01:06 AM
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Comments
keep up the good work
Posted by: jango ang at April 26, 2006 03:29 AM
A former editor of the Borneo Post in Sarawak was summoned to tea in KL for writing "...Will the real moron please stand up..." at the height of the Asian Financial Crisis. The Special Branch crowd around him asking him to explain every word by word. That's being very open because Tun Dr Mahathir called George Soros a moron.
Posted by: thienshingvui at April 26, 2006 11:23 AM
Who is right? Do the people want the bridge or not?
PM: We listen to the people. The people do not want the bridge.
Tun M: People want the bridge. Let us have a referendum.
Tan Sri Ahmad: Making a decision on basis of such a referendum has never been the practise of the government nor tradition of Malaysia.
Is the Tan Sri saying that listening to the people has never been the practise of the government?
I suspect that except for the people of Johore, the rest of the people are indifferent to whether the bridge should be built or not.
May be, the main reason for not going ahead with the bridge or half bridge is simple economics. Malaysia could not afford to build this expensive bridge if it wants to implement all the projects under 9th Malaysian Plan.
Posted by: notso at April 26, 2006 01:25 PM
Everything in Bolehland is relative. You are allowed to complain, but if the complaints get under the skin of UMNO, then the mainstream press will be told to ignore you. Freedom of press in Bolehland may be summarised as follows: If it suits the government, you can say what you want, if it does not suit the government, then the avenues will somehow be closed to you fairly quickly.
Posted by: godfather at April 26, 2006 10:51 PM
Bingo Notso!
That's exactly what I thought. We've run out of money and we need to find every possible way to extricate ourselves out of the morass created by the erstwhile free-spending,'what-me-worry' supreme leader.
As for referendums not being our tradition, the man is right. Our leaders always know what we want - which is why they keep doing them without asking us: destroy whatever semblence of public transport we had, refrain from open tenders, allow construction projects like the MATRADE building and the Kuching Prison to go on fully funded for years while contractors come and go, allow the cops to run their own show and screw up on all negotiations with our smarter cousins.
Posted by: Vaseau at April 26, 2006 11:21 PM
In Malaysia, whats happening is selective information. Its just to give an openess impression
without actually have an open society. Its is a tool
used by dictators. Good example, Bahasa Malaysia issue, everybody against it, inclusive of most
intelectuals and academia. Information control skewed it and now BM will be a forgotten language.
Pak Lah knows Mahathir comments will not jeopardise
him as no one listen to the senile ex-dictator anymore.
Posted by: skoope at April 27, 2006 12:32 PM
err, i still listen to Dr M. sorry, but i think the old man got more brain than most of u all, put togather.
Posted by: mikamiki at April 28, 2006 10:24 AM
Yeah right. More brains, more connections, more opportunities, more funds ...
The rest of us have less of everything
Posted by: Vaseau at April 28, 2006 03:16 PM
not anymore. now, the old man got nothing except his brain and the daring to say his mind. i m no great admirer of Dr M, but when i think he is right, i ll say he is right.
Posted by: mikamiki at April 29, 2006 02:09 PM