Bloggers United, united bloggers

Sheih has created a permanent page - SAY NO TO NSTP - please give your comments, ideas and supports with regards to the campaign at the permanent page

Susan Loone has launch the Bloggers United Official Page.

Nuraina has a letter asking NST to withdraw its suit.

CJCM compiled the reaction from the internet community.

Rocky's Bru said ;

Many of you asked me for my bank account no because you wanted to send money to help finance the fight. We have decided that it will serve bloggers well if we set up a fund not in our names but in the name of blogger solidarity and freedom of expression to defend our rights in the court of law.
We should be announcing the formation of the fund this week.
Bloggers Unite should also meet up soon to discuss the future of blogging, the new threat that we face, the steps that we will need to take.
It's going to be a long journey but we'll walk the distance.
Walk with us.

International Herald Tribune published another news "Malaysian bloggers unite against defamation lawsuits" on January 21 2007.

Malaysia: Malaysia's independent news and political Web sites have stepped up their campaign against a pro-government newspaper that sued two bloggers for defamation, with one urging the prime minister to intervene.

The lawsuits by English-language New Straits Times were the first against Malaysian bloggers for publishing comments on the Internet. Much of the traditional media in Malaysia are controlled by political parties or by the government, and the suits have raised fears that the freedom of online media may be in jeopardy.

"This will reflect so badly on the newspaper and, of course, on the government because of the ties that bind," Nuraina Samad, a former political editor of the Times, wrote in her Web journal.

The defamation suits were filed earlier this month against Jeff Ooi — whose "Screenshots" blogs carries daily commentaries on the political situation in the country — and Ahirudin Attan, who operates "Rocky's Bru," a similar blog.

Reporters Without Borders has written to the CEO of the country’s leading English-language newspaper, the New Strait Times, Syed Faisal Albar, urging him to intervene on behalf of two bloggers against whom four of the paper’s senior staff are bringing defamation cases.

"You will surely accept that, even if they do not share your opinions, the disappearance of the blogs produced by these two outspoken bloggers, Jeff Ooi and Ahiruddin Attan, would be a loss to the Malaysian media world," the worldwide press freedom organisation said, in an open letter on 19 January.

Jeff Ooi, who runs one of the country’s most popular blogs Screenshots, first received a letter asking him to delete 13 items on his blog which were deemed defamatory. It came from four New Strait Times staff, including the current deputy chairman of its board, Kalimullah Hassan, who was particularly offended by accusations against him on the blog of plagiarism. Since Ooi refused to remove the messages, the journalists laid a complaint on 11 January and the case is due to be heard on 30 January.

The same action has been taken against Ahiruddin Attan, who runs Rockybru, and is due to appear in court on 25 January. The blogger said that in his case it was linked to a column in which he accused some journalists on the New Strait Times of being agents of Singapore.

"We believe that this case is groundless," said Reporters Without Borders. "It looks to us as though legal procedures are being used as a way of silencing two of your newspaper’s critics."

"You will certainly agree that bloggers have the right, as have journalists, to comment on the news and to expose practices which appear to them to be amoral or illegal. We remind you that these people, who are not backed by any press group, are particularly vulnerable to any judicial proceedings. A heavy fine could force them to halt publication.

"(...) We hope therefore that you will intervene on behalf of these two bloggers with the plaintiffs, especially former CEO of the New Strait Times, Kalimullah Hassan, which whom you work closely. Halting this judicial procedure will benefit both parties. You are a journalist like us and we are convinced that you will respond to our appeal and make it a point of honour to defend press freedom in your country," the letter concluded.

Reporters Without Borders regularly speaks out against the marked media concentration in Malaysia, where most publications are controlled by investors close to the government, pushing journalists into self-censorship. The largest group, Media Prima, was previously owned by the main ruling party, the United Malays National Organization (UMNO). Still today, Media Prima is partly owned by the Malaysia Resources Corporation Berhad, which has close links to the party and government. Media Prima owns the New Straits Times, the second biggest Malay-language paper, Berita Harian, as well as Maly Mail, Harian Metro and the Shin Min Daily News. Media Prima also has four terrestrial TV stations.

Malaysia is listed 92nd out of 168 on Reporters Without Borders’ 2006 Worldwide press freedom index.


Malaysia bloggers united reporters without borders