Malaysiakini Your Say | Jun 16, 11
‘We live in an age where the Recording Industry Association of Malaysia and its ilk, with their immense wealth, monopolise mainstream airwaves and distribution channels, driven by a desire to market rather than nurture creativity.’
Recording industry lauds ban on file-sharers
Nick C: As a member of the creative industry in Malaysia, I would like to state for the record that if there is any activity or organisation that has “highly destructive effects on the local music industry”, it is none other than the Recording Industry Malaysia and it’s efforts at suffocating online content.
Indeed, we now live in an age where RIM and its ilk, with their immense wealth, monopolise mainstream airwaves and distribution channels, driven by a desire to market rather than nurture creativity.
Online music sharing is how many independent Malaysian artists share their music and gain exposure, and if one has ever been to a local concert, it is very often that you hear the artists themselves ask of the audience to record what they hear and share it online, as it’s the only way they can reach out to a wider audience in an environment monopolised by greedy corporations.
To right an often-played radio public service announcement (PSA), it’s not the sharing of music that will silence music, it is RIM and its corruption of copyright.
Rais: Anonymous hackers group misread gov’t aims
Anonymous_40a7: “The Government will not impose any censorship of the Internet, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said” (The Star, Aug 8, 2009). Two years later, “Internet freedom in Malaysia has not improved since 2009, the year Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak took over the leadership reins.” (Free Malaysia Today, April 19, 2011).
Care to explain these developments, Rais Yatim? Or maybe you want to hide under the “combating cyber crimes” excuse again?
Henry: Yeah, right. What about the DDOS attacks on Malaysiakini during the Sarawak election?
Geronimo: The big question is, if it is about copyright issues, then why block Internet file sharing websites? Bootleg versions of hit movies are readily available in shops and the pasar malam. Why doesn’t Rais Yatim set his priority right by tackling this problem first, before blocking those on the Internet? Since they are so concerned about infringing copyright in cyberspace, how about porn sites?
I certainly would like to see a list of porn sites blocked by Umno, similar to those 10 file-sharing websites.
Pepper Spray: Government websites are pretty useless as they are, attacking them would be a waste of time and resources. But let’s do it for the lulls.
Docs: Rais seem to be contradicting himself. First he said that there is no Internet censorship in Malaysia. Then he said that 10 file-sharing websites have been banned. To a lay person like me, banned Internet sites or censorship of Internet websites all sound the same.
I think the hackers, too, may have thought that ban and censorship sounds the same and decided to declare cyber war on the government by hitting its websites. Looks like our information minister’s information is either not too clear or sounds unconvincing.
Wira: In cyberworld, if illegal stuff is hosted on a download site, it is incumbent of the copyright owner to inform the site to remove the bootlegged copy. I do not know any bona fide download site that will not acquiesce to such a request. If Rais follows through with his argument, very soon we’ll find him banning YouTube.
Nil: Any form of interference with the Worldwide Web that limits or hampers the people’s right of access to it is censorship. If crimes have been committed, and if there are complaints, then arrest and prosecute them in the court of law. If people have misread the government’s good intentions, then the government has misinformed.
Aku Melayu-Islam: Come on, lah, where got hacker give advance warning? Whoever they are, they’re just testing the reaction of the Malaysian government. And wow, sudah banyak panic. Kecut perut Rais, almost sounds like he’s begging, “Jangan lah attack, you salah faham, aje”. And the police are “looking” for the hackers. He, he, he, he.
Sudah jumpa, ke, orang yang upload video sex pada Internet tu? Belajar censor video sex haram dulu yang telah ditayang di hotel Carcosa Seri Negara. The police are still helpless. Buat malu, je.
Anonymous: Have they caught the acid-splashers, yet?
Kgen: This stupid Rais Yatim still has no clue that blocking web addresses is ineffective as the blocks can be easily bypassed. The file-sharing websites have a legitimate business and any piracy there is for copyright holders to deal with. It has nothing to do with this stupid government.
Artchan: Hackers, don’t waste your time. All government websites are not updated, anyway. And all contact telephones numbers are just numbers – you can never get through.
Gov’t braces for cyber-attacks
Longjaafar: If it really happens, then perhaps the powers that be will realise that we are living in a global environment, and that taking action only against local portals and individuals is futile. The bullying of bloggers and online news portals like Malaysiakini has to stop.
M’siaKiniFan: BN-Umno, this is your real face! Are you are afraid the rakyat will know the truth about your corruption and mismanagement? You deny most of the rakyat the basic right to information. We’ll see, government vs Internet.
Pandoran: Is the government going to bill the people RM500 million to avoid the planned hacking by Anonymous, like Tourism Ministry’s RM1.8m FaceBook site?
Dominic Seow: This shows the double standards of the Malaysian police. When Ibrahim Ali issued his declaration of a crusade against the Christians, the police never said they are going to investigate and get to the bottom of the issue.
From zorro-unmasked—
In the year 2011, the Lord came unto Noah, who was now living in Malaysia, and said: “Once again, the earth has become wicked and over-populated, and I see the end of all flash before me. “Build another Ark and save 2 of every living thing along with a few good humans. Bring Ibrahim Ali along as you will need him to clean the poo.” He gave Noah the blueprints, saying, “You have 6 months to build the Ark before I start the un-ending rain for 40 days and 40 nights.” Six months later, the Lord looked down and saw Noah weeping in his yard but with no Ark.
“Noah!” He roared, “I’m about to start the rain! Where is the Ark?”
“Forgive me, Lord”, begged Noah, “but things have changed.
“First I need to have a BUMIPUTRA PARTNER who is linked to UMNO. Then I need a building permit from DBKL and I also have to pay under-counter money to get the permit . Then I’ve been arguing with the BOMBA inspector about the need for a sprinkler system.
“My neighbours complained to The Malay Utasan about the height of the Ark I was going to build and the next day it was in the media headlines claiming that I’ve violated the neighbourhood building by-laws – that my Ark exceeds the height limitations.
“I appealed to the magistrate and it was finally approved.” “The Opposition took advantage of the situation and said I was a government crony and did nasty things with my face on the Internet. I don’t know how they super-imposed my face on a naked body of a MP and put it on YOUTUBE. Oh Lord, only you who are all-knowing, know that I had nothing to do with these MPs.
“Then there was another stop-work order even before I could start work. The Badan Cegah Rasuah arrested me for pornography. I talked to a lawyer who looks like Ambitah Bachan, talks like him, acts like him but is not him. He said he knows the Chief Justice and the Prime Minister, the Apa Nama and can clear my name but I have to buy them air tickets to Australia.
“After clearing my name … I had to go to the DBKL Appeal Board again for a decision to allow me to build the Ark.
“The government, after approving the plans, said I must use only SIRIM-approved goods and must only buy from their list of CLASS F contractors which are 15 times more expensive than the Normal hardware shops. “Then the TNB and JPJ demanded a bond be posted for future costs of moving power lines and other overhead obstructions, to clear the passage for the Ark’s move to the sea. I told them that the sea would be coming to us but they laughed and would hear nothing of it.
“Getting the wood was another problem. SUKHAM and the JABATAN HUTAN NEGARA said there’s a ban on cutting local trees to save the orang utan. I tried to convince SUKHAM and JABATAN HUTAN NEGARA that I needed the wood to save the orang utan – but they said no go.
“When I started gathering the animals, JAKIM and an Animal Rights Group sued me.
“JAKIM said I cannot put the chickens and the pigs next to each other as it WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED HALAL and the Animal Rights Group insisted that I was confining wild animals against their will. They argued that the accommodation was too restrictive and it was cruel and inhumane to put so many animals in a confined space.
“Then JABATAN KERJA RAKYAT AND JABATAN KAJIAN dan GALIAN ruled that I couldn’t build the Ark until they had conducted an environmental impact study on your proposed flood. “I’m still trying to resolve a complaint with the Human Rights Commission on how many bumiputra contractors I’m supposed to hire for my building crew. “JABATAN IMMIGRASI and RELA are checking the status of most of the people who want to work. “The trade unions say I can not use my sons. They insist I have to hire only union workers with Ark-building experience. “As I started to clear the area to build the ark, 6 PERKOSA gangsters came and demanded protection money. They said they control the area for selling drugs and prostitution to my workers. “When I complained to the POLIS… the IGP of POLIS sent an ASP who came in full uniform the next day. Unfortunately, he also happened to be one from the six gangsters who demanded protection money. They doubled my protection fee. “Then there was a by-election and I was forced to be an UMNO member in order to get my permits approved and I was made to pay a donation by the Barisan candidate in the so called spirit of MUHIBBAH. Otherwise, he will make my life difficult.”Every department I turned to is asking for what they call, ‘Kopi Wang’. “I calculated that if I had to pay all the ‘Kopi wang’ and give the donation, the cost of building the ARK will be 20 times higher. I refused to give them the Kopi Wang as I am faithful to you, Oh Lord. “Then some top level politicians were very disappointed with me for not giving donations and called me a murtad but I told them my name is Noah not murtad. They got very angry and said they have connections. “Suddenly, I am a suspect behind the murder of the Mongolian lady because the place where she was murdered happens to be on the land where I am going to build the Ark. So I was arrested. “To make matters worse, the Jabatan HASIL seized all my assets, claiming I’m trying to leave the country illegally with endangered species. I have just been released from ISA. “So, forgive me, Lord, but it would take at least 10 years for me to finish this Ark.”
Suddenly the skies cleared, the sun began to shine, and a rainbow stretched across the sky. Noah looked up in wonder and asked, “You mean you’re not going to destroy the world?”
“No,” said the Lord. “The current government is already doing it for me!”