Kingdom of Fear

I use this title which was the late American gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson's book on post-911 America, to describe the current atmosphere of fear in Malaysia.
Barely a week after the Human Rights Watch group released its report on Malaysia's dismal record of human rights, aptly describing the Malaysian standing on human rights as "More Rhetoric than Reality", than police moved in to arrest a blogger for insulting the late Sultan of Johor. Granted that Information Minister Rais Yatim says that blogger Aduka Taruna's apology should be accepted and the matter laid to rest, but the fact is that members of the public, and i mean ordinary folks much like you and me, have deemed fit to lodge over 25 (yes, 25!) police reports against Aduka Taruna for his alleged insults against the late Sultan. And why must Rais suggest a pardon, are malaysians incapable of holding their own opinions? There is currently an atmosphere of fear justified by slavish pronouncements of "asians don't normally insult a dead Sultan", "we don't do this, we're not supposed to do that". The fear-feeders/mongers have scored a penalty kick goal against the cause of freedom which is growing dimmer by the day. Dimmer and dimmer under the watchful, baleful eyes of this current administration. Without freedom there can be no innovation. Without innovation there can be no growth. Without growth there is only a slow lingering death. I ask myself why mere words against a public figure can be so powerful as to attract the penalty of losing one's freedom. Even if detention is for 24 hours, that is a big deal. You do not deprive someone of his liberty unless you have sound, solid reasons for doing so, such as to protect the public or to prevent harm. But what harm has Aduka Taruna done except to express his personal opinions against a public figure, insulting or crude notwithstanding? Protect the public from what? And why do the Sultan's rabidly ultra-loyal subjects insist on an apology? Why after apologising is there still such a cry for blood? Why apologise? Apologise to who? Aplogise to the unthinking, hate-crazed mob.
Words have the power to sway opinions and the powers-that-be are deathly afraid of it. They won't have it and they have the power of fear in their control. The organs of government can be used to horrific effect to deprive individuals of their freedom at the whim and fancy of the top dog (pun intended). But i am less surprised at the government's use of such coercive powers than i am disappointed that so many Malaysians are so intolerant and unable to embrace the idea of freedom for freedom's sake. Of course, freedom is not free, freedom comes at a price. And it seems now that many of my fellow Malaysians are unwilling to pay this price. They are content to trade freedom for the badge of slavery because that is all that they have known all their lives. And, so it seems they are content to stay this way. Are we too afraid to be free? Which begs the question: Are we worthy of freedom?

What happened to the Internet we used to know?

Things have a way of creeping up on you unawares in this here our good old Malaysia. Like how the internet has changed since its introduction to Malaysia in the early 90s to what it is today. www.yahoo.com has become m.www.yahoo.com while www.google.com has become www.google.com.my in the last couple of years (or less if memory does not serve me incorrectly). So while we haven't had full-scale censorship YET, the fact is that with these changes the government can very easily impose censorship a la China. Maybe at first they will cite pornography as an excuse to crack down on the internet. Then after that, "National Security" or whatever excuse they can think of to get their hands on the only channel of freedom we have left in Malaysia. You see, they can censor local newspapers and magazines by threatening not to renew publishing licenses. Even the Catholic Herald was threatened of all publications. But they cannot censor the internet as easily. Well, until now. They can now. I'm betting it is only a matter of time before they pull the plug on the internet. And by golly, do they ever have a thousand reasons not to allow free and unfettered discussion of their policies and actions! Imagine Malaysia being subject to censorship over the internet as China now does. Your search engines will be blocked from accessing "sensitive" sites or whatever is deemed by the authorities to be unpalatable to them and theirs. I remember the internet when it was first introduced, what a beautiful place it was what pleasure to surf, i could browse on any subject, look up on any information, get views and opinions on any subject under heaven. Old Mahathir guaranteed that our internet would be free of censorship. Fast forward 15 years later and the multi media super corridor is almost non-existent, nobody is pouring in money into developing Malaysia's IT industry and so the reason for keeping the internet free, ie. to attract foreign FDIs into Malaysia have all but disappeared. Now slowly i am seeing the internet getting monetised in all its facets and coming in the government's cross hairs for censorship. They may deny it, but don't be surprised if what you search for doesn't come up on screen cos some bureaucratic pen pusher decided it was for your own good. We are already seeing this happening now. Censorship kills independent thought. It is the tool a regime resorts to to stifle dissent and perpetuate its lies. Without questions being asked, without probing, without checks and balances, they can get away with anything. And they have gotten away with quite a lot already, haven't they?