To the arrogant Mr. Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar

Dear Mr. Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar, We are not stupid. If you have grounds to say that Raja Petra is publishing “libellous, defamatory and slanderous” stuff, please take him to court and seek legal recourse. You are supposed to be a lawyer. So please start behaving like one and do not make arbitrary decisions whch are essentially politically motivated. Stop grand standing since it only reflects your personal inadequacies. I have been reading Petra’s blog and I know how careful he can be. His comments and analyses are fact based and the information is from impeccable sources. Your government is increasingly repressive and people of this country are sick and tired of the pontifications of our Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and ministers of the UMNO-led and dominated Barisan Nasional government. One would have thought that Badawi and others including yourself would have learnt something from the March 8, 2008 General Election. But it is quite clear to all of us now that the loss of 5 key states of Penang, Perak, Selangor, Kedah and Kelantan and the two thirds majority in Parliament was not humbling enough. UMNO was again severely beaten only two days ago in Permatang Pauh when Anwar Ibrahim trounced the Mandarin speaking Ariff Shah of UMNO with a majority of over 15,000 votes. If the election was more open, transparent and free from harassment by the Police and the FRU and UMNO’s dirty tricks and threats (using paid agents) with the help of Rashid Rahman and his staff at the Elections Commission, Ariff Shah would have probably lost his deposit! In stead of learning from this latest fiasco, UMNO and the government are flexing their muscle against the Malaysian people. You cannot win, Mr. Minister, when you take on the people of Malaysia. Please remember this: the winds of change that have hit our shores since March 8, 2008 are unstoppable. You should behave yourself and make sure that you use the power in your hands with a high sense of responsibility. Be accountable. That is my humble advice. Remember BERSIH, Hindraf and the actions you took in recent months that caused massive traffic jams in Kuala Lumpur including the highway arrest of Anwar Ibrahim by balaclava-clad men of the Police Force, and rectumus politikus (politik jubur) UMNO played in Permatang Puah and the Koran swearing nonsense by Saiful Bukhari, Deputy Prime Minister Najib, and former Menteri Besar of Perak, Tajol Rosli. People put you in office and they can remove you. People are also laughing at the antics of UMNO. I spent 10 days among people in Permatang Pauh and saw what UMNO with the help of the Police and FRU and Vet 69 personnel, Special Branch,and Military Intelligence and its agent provocateurs were doing. I visited places in Permatang Pauh where you would probably never dare to go. I talked and listened to the hard working ordinary Malaysians in the kampongs. The message is clear: first, the government is no longer connecting with them, second, UMNO leaders and politicians are corrupt and cannot be trusted, third, they want a change in the leadership of our country and fourth, they no longer believe the mainstream media, tv 1, tv2,and tv3. Permatang Pauh is a clear sign that people have hand enough of this government. It is time for Badawi and his colleagues to take stock of the government’s performance record since 2004 and act. —Din Merican _____________ www.malaysiakini.com Malaysia Today banned for ’slanderous’ postings

August 28, 2008

Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar said today that the prominent political website Malaysia Today had been banned because it published “libellous, defamatory and slanderous” content. MCPX “I think we don’t intend to curtail people’s freedom and right to give information and debate,” Syed Hamid told reporters. “But when you publish content that is libellous, defamatory and slanderous to other people I think it is only natural we take action,” he said. He defended blocking access to Malaysia Today that has attacked top leaders, saying it had ignored warnings against publishing “slanderous” articles. “So many warnings and opportunities have been given and it is not heeded, so I am sure they have exercised their authority well under the law.” Malaysiakini reported yesterday that government-backed watchdog Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission had ordered all internet service providers (ISPs) in the country to block the errant website, whose founder Raja Petra Kamaruddin (left), has already been charged with sedition.Malaysia media is tightly controlled by the government, and it has expressed frustration over its inability to rein in Internet news portals which have become popular alternative news sources. Mirror site still up and running Raja Petra Kamaruddin, founder and editor of Malaysia Today, said a mirror site had been established with a foreign provider.”I will fight the government action all the way. Their action will not stop me from writing,” he said, promising to challenge the shutdown in court. A check by Malaysiakini revealed that Malaysia Today mirror site is still up as at 4pm. Raja Petra is already facing a sedition charge and a defamation suit after linking Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak and his wife to the sensational murder of a Mongolian woman. Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders ranks Malaysia 124 out of 169 on its worldwide press freedom index, and says the main media are “often compelled to ignore or to play down the many events organised by the opposition”. The government has previously threatened that bloggers could be punished under draconian internal security laws which provide for detention without trial.