Malaysia Breeds Political Bloggers
Bloggers Create Political Awareness and Dischord in the Country
Bloggers have become the new political culture of Malaysia allowing Malaysians independent news sourcesas opposed to the government-controlled mainstream media.
In the past year and a half, an influential amount of dissent towards the Malaysian government surfaced, criticising the authorities of blatant cronyism, corruption and the continuous misuse of government funds. Due to the governmental control over the mainstream media, Malaysians turned to the art of blogging to air their frustrations they had and still have with the ruling party.
Despite some strong allegations towards government officials on corruption counts and threats of a vote for a change in government, leading up to the General Elections of 2008, the ruling coaltion dismissed Malaysian bloggers of having any effect on the society. Bloggers were labled as being "bored, lonely and unemployed housewives." In a prominent statement by another official, bloggers were also called "monkeys."
The Blogging Situation, Post-Elections
The results in the General Elections of 2008 indicated that a close majority of Malaysians believed in the allegations brought forth by the Malaysian political bloggers. The ruling coalition was dismayed by the outcome of the elections, having their two-thirds majority benchmark dismantled and took steps to relieve themselves of the debacle by offering truces of various forms with the bloggers.
A programme called "Blog" now airs weekly on a government channel. It invites individual bloggers to discuss their views from their blog posts. Prominent blogger - and one of the most controversial - Raja Petra Kamaruddin, was featured in the twenty minute session recently. He remained neutral on most of his views but repeatedly assured that blogging, for him, was a responsibility as a Malaysian.
Since the elections, personnel of the ruling coalition party also began their own blogs, to tell their "side of the story." Bloggers and their readers flocked to this new breed of blogs, finally able to speak directly with cabinet and parliamentary members. Since then, a number of these blogs have had their comments feature switched off.
Bloggers become More Aggressive
Several changes in state governments favouring the opposition party, post elections, have fuelled more aggression amongst bloggers, who are now seemingly less afraid of potential action from the federal government.
However, Raja Petra, since his interview on Blog, was apprehended and subsequently released by the police after a two hour interrogation. His laptop and computer remain in their cusotdy. A recent blog post on his site, Malaysia Today, insinuated that Premier Deputy Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak, and his wife - Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor - were linked to the high profile murder case of a Mongolian model Altantuya Shaaribuu.
The couple replied to Raja Petra's post by advising Malaysians to not believe in rumours circulating the net. Datuk Seri Najib had also reportedly said that the post was a strategy to shatter confidence as his role as the next Prime Minister, (by default).
In response, fellow bloggers insist that Raja Petra's post only conveyed knowledge that was already made public two years ago, when Altantuya was brutally murdered and had nothing to do with the impending change in premiership.
Bloggers Represent the Nation
Bloggers have come a long way in Malaysia, demonstrating protests and airing opinions at an intellectual level. Their determination in educating the public and representing the interests of Malaysians have landed a few of with celebrity statuses. Blogger Jeff Ooi now resides in Parliament and continues to enjoy an international readership. Overall, Malaysian bloggers have also come a long way to prove that they are not just desperate housewives or a rare breed of monkeys.
