Media
Statement by Yeo Bee Yin, DAP Social Media Strategist and State Assemblywoman
for Damansara Utama on Friday, 17 Jan 2014 in Petaling Jaya.
The incident of BBC’s “kangkung” article being inaccessible
raised red flag on Putrajaya’s commitment to Internet and social media freedom,
which is crucial for Pakatan Rakyat victory in the next General Election.
We
were appalled at the news that an article on BBC’s website entitled “#BBCtrending: Be careful
what you say about spinach” has been inaccessible temporarily by some of the Telekom Malaysia (TM) users and appeared to be restored only
after a public outcry on social media.
Despite
Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) earlier denial, the
fact that TM did not deny blocking the article and in its statement said “TM
wishes to reiterate that issues of national content blocking should be directed
MCMC” indicated that there was indeed instruction from “above”.
Is
MCMC trying to cover up? Instead of attempting to sweep the matter under the
carpet, we urge MCMC to come out clean and explain the incident in an honest
manner. The Minister
of Communication and Multimedia Dato Sri’ Ahmad Shabery Cheek should step-in to
investigate the matter, find those who are guilty of it and make them
responsible.
Such
incident of selective blocking of sites for political reasons is unacceptable
and should not be repeated. It sends an urgent signal to Pakatan Rakyat on
Putrajaya’s sincerity in honoring its commitment to no censorship under the
Multimedia Super Corridor’s Bill of Guarantees, especially in the face of even
stiffer competition in GE14.
With
the mainstream media being tightly controlled by the Barisan Nasional
government under Printing Presses and Publication Act 1984 as shown clearly by
the suspension of The Heat, the Internet will be the main campaigning channel
for Pakatan Rakyat in GE14.
Good
news for us is that according to Finance Ministry Economic Report 2013/2014,
the number of Internet users Malaysia is expected to grow to 25 million in 2015, which is
more than 85% of the total population of Malaysia. As of now, one out every three minutes spent
online is on social networking in Malaysia.
Beside
that, it is
expected that we’ll see an even younger demographic of registered voters in
GE14 than GE13. (According to the Population
and Housing Census of Malaysia 2010, the size of population at the age of 15-19
is 2.8 million. Beside that, there are about 3 million unregistered voters
under the age of 35. This makes up a total of 5.8 million of eligible young
voters who can register to vote in GE14).
If
everything else stays constant, with higher Internet penetration rate, Pakatan
Rakyat’s upper hand in social media campaigning and a younger demographic of
voters, we will see a more level playing field in GE14 in terms of media and
information dissemination.
Nevertheless,
Internet and social media access is hold to ransom by the Multimedia Super Corridor’s
Bill of Guarantees. If even a report on the Prime Minister “kangkung” remarks is
intolerable and has been blocked, we are extremely concerned that Barisan
Nasional will resort to foul play on the internet in the face of stiffer fight
in GE14.
With
that, we urge the government not to cover up the BBC’s “kangkung” site blocking
and find out the culprits who initiated such block. And to prove its sincerity for internet
freedom, the government should also reassure private Internet Service Providers
in black-and-white that, they should in no circumstances be obliged to
self-filter political contents, with or without instructions from “above”.
Yeo
Bee Yin
