Rojak and Cocktail: Defend your right to free speech!

Calling one, calling all! Defend your right to free speech!

This is the official statement of Bloggers United. This statement is jointly drafted by Susan Loone and Sheih of Kickdefella. All those who believe in justice and right to free speech, please sign on and put this up in your blogs. Spread it around; let it grow far and wide. The fight is on!
- kickdefella

BLOGGERS UNITED CONDEMN ACTION AGAINST ROCKY & JEFF & DEMAND LEVEL PLAYING FIELD in ALL ACTION AGAINST BLOGGERS

We, Malaysian bloggers, we, who believe in justice and right to free speech, we, who endorse the Bloggers United movement, unanimously condemn the action taken by media conglomerate NST against bloggers Rocky Bru and Jeff Ooi. The action by the newspaper against the duo is an action against all bloggers who believe in their right to free speech, freedom of expression and justice.

The recent event may seem like a grave development in the path of bloggers, but it can never and must never impede or stop us from defending our right to speak, to express, to write and to tell the truth, to be the watchdog, eyes and ears of the people, or simply to share our view, and give fair comment on any subject which involves and affects us as humans, as rightful citizens of this country.

The recent event may very well give the government owned media the opportunity to dictate the so-called ‘truth” but such actions only prove that bloggers must unite, continue to uphold the right to free speech and freedom of expression, fight for justice, even if it is not our own, be more alert, committed to the cause of free speech, relentless and persistence in the face of such persecution like the one which had befallen on the two of us.

What YOU do to any of US, is what YOU do to ALL.

As responsible bloggers, we demand and claim our space on the blogosphere for free and fair comment, where important national issues and prominent personalities are discussed.

Although it may seem as if the NSTP defamation suits will have a chilling effect on freedom of bloggers, as litigation can be expensive and may jeorpadise a blogger’s economic position, we will not be cowed or silenced by those who have no regard for free speech.

If you find our post offensive, you may refute us with correct facts and figures and fair comment, in the spirit of free speech.

The first two cases will have grave impact not only on the internet, but country as a whole as the country celebrates VMY2007. The healthy, mature and democratic growth for free speech and expression in our midst is at stake. The reputation of the nation as it strives to promote our multimedia supercorridor and love for IT will be a national joke for all the world to feast on.

We demand for a level playing field in all action meted out to bloggers and in particular in the defamation proceedings particularly in terms of financial resources and capabilities, and secondly, that the legal rights of bloggers et al are properly protected in keeping with the imperatives of an information society and knowledge economy which Malaysia aspires to become.

For further information, please contact blogger susan loone at susanloone@gmail.com and sheih at kickdefella@yahoo.com

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Charter 2000-Aliran is deeply concerned by the recent defamation suit brought out by the New Straits Times Press against bloggers Jeff Ooi of "Screenshots" fame and Ahirudin Attan ("Rocky's Bru") for their allegedly defamatory postings.
Although we don't intend to go into details of the case as it might be interpreted as being sub judice, we are disturbed by the repercussions the suit might have on blogging circles in the country. Bloggers may feel pressured to exercise more self-censorship and caution and this might deter them from exposing abuse of power and corruption at the highest levels.

This suit is also politically significant especially for advocates of freedom of expression, since the space available for democratic discourse on the Internet is far wider than the shrinking space available to the mainstream media. The mainstream media rarely expose major scandals or display investigative journalism. This uncritical and unquestioning approach was especially evident in their reporting of the case of the murdered Mongolian woman.

Given this political context, a legal suit - especially if it involves a claim of damages that runs into the millions - may open the floodgates to other attempts to muzzle bloggers and webmasters using legal means.

In the name of accountability, transparency and good governance, we call upon the government to institute reforms that strengthen democratic institutions and protect the right to free expression in the media, including the Internet.

Dr Mustafa Kamal Anuar & Anil Netto

Coordinators

Charter 2000-Aliran
19 January 2007