I just hopped over from Anil Netto’s blog about this Memorandum for Media Freedom to pressure our ISA-dependent federal government to enact Freedom of Information laws.
Apparently, they need 5000 signatures so if you are really sick and tired of the lies printed in the mainstream media all the time due to all those restrictive acts stopping them from publishing the truth, then go on over to sign the memorandum.
Heck, if you don’t believe that a Freedom of Information law will be able to make the MSM report the bitter truth, then sign the memorandum for the sake of truthful online news portal like Malaysia Today and Malaysiakini.
Or even for the sake of yourself, bloggers and anyone else so that we won’t have the threat of ISA, OSA and Sedition Act hanging over our heads ALL THE TIME!
It is time for freedom of speech and time for all of us to stand together and fight for our right to speak freely of what bothers us!
This is how the memorandum was started:
Concerned Malaysians are working hard to collect as many signatures as possible for the 2008 Memorandum on Media Freedom – sponsored by Benar for Free and Fair Media (Benar), Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ), National Alliance of Bloggers (All-Blogs) and Writers Alliance for Media Independence (WAMI).
The Memorandum, together with the signatures collected until 30 August, 2008 shall be presented to the national leaders on August 31, 2008 and to state leaders on September 16, 2008 to demand for reforms in media laws. This project will be weaker without your support. We hope you will place this image link on your blog to help promote the cause.
There can be no free nation without free media. Let us come together to demand media freedom as the birthday present for our beloved nation.
Thank you very much for your support and attention.
In our love of the nation and freedom,
All-Blogs, Benar, CIJ and WAMI
And here’s what were written on the front page of the memorandum:
Do you deserve to know the TRUTH and make informed decisions?
It is not possible now with more than 30 laws that have an impact on your right to know. The following laws are among those with serious consequences:
* the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) which confers the Home Minister the absolute power to decide whom to give a publication permit, when to revoke or suspend the permit, what books to ban, forcing the mainstream newspapers to toe the official line and practice self-censorship;
* the Official Secrets Act (OSA) which makes everything done in government departments a potential secret, depriving your right to know how your tax money is spent and whether government contracts are properly tendered;
* the Sedition Act which allows the government to silence critics on the grounds that they are fermenting hatred against the government and threatening social harmony;
* the Internal Security Act (ISA) which allows the government to detain anyone without trial for an indefinite period of time under the guise of protecting national security; and
* the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) which allows the concentration of broadcast media in the hand of a few well-connected or party-owned businesses.We must demand changes through media law reforms:
* by having a Parliamentary Select Committee review all media-related laws and repeal those that restrict our free speech, information access and empowerment;
* by suspending the enforcement of the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) before its abolition; and
* by enacting Freedom of Information (FOI) laws at both federal and state levels.An opposition Parliamentarian has submitted a private member’s bill and some state governments are studying the enactment of FOI legislation in these states. Thus far the Federal Government has ignored the call for FOI and the private member’s bill may not be tabled unless there is strong pressure from the people.
You can change this pathetic situation. All you need to do is register your political will to demand for change. Make your voice heard. You deserve the truth.
So, go on over to this site and sign the memorandum to show your support.
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“Land of the free
And Home of the Brave”
That’s America not Bodohland. One of the reasons why the US constitution fathers incorporate the right to bear arms in the US constitution is so that the people can rise up against any unjust gomen.
And this is one reason why the people are reluctant to amend this right despite some frightful abuse of firearms.
If Malaysians have the right to bear arms, do you think the gomen dare to f the rakyat around ah?
That is also why firearms are so strictly controlled in M’sia. You can get the death penalty just for owning a few bullets.
engineer: aiyah, the grass always greener on the other side wan…got firearms will only make things worse leh…then we will have problems of kids bringing guns to schools and shooting their teachers and classmates.
hmm..wat we really need is V (of V for Vendetta)
“The people should not be afraid of the government, the government should be afraid of the people”