Fake News

A WhatsApp joke has been making the rounds:

Before Fake News Bill 2018
------------
Dungu: I'm on the way, a bit jam lah.
Abuden: Ya, me too, traffic really bad.


After Fake News Bill 2018
------------
Dungu: Still in bed; I overslept.
Abuden: Ya, me too. See you in an hour.


People have been lying since the serpent told Eve back in the Garden that everything would be fine if she ate that fruit.

These days, the truth has been so bent out of shape that election machineries that have traditionally been the foundation of modern democracies have faltered; rife with twisted untruths and blatant lies.

The United States of America has had its citizens manipulated into voting a candidate that is worthless; one who has none of their best interests at heart.

The United Kingdom has withdrawn from the European Union under false information provided during a referendum; albeit one that was wholly unnecessary.

Facebook and Cambridge Analytica have been fingered. The next few days will probably hold an avalanche of further information.

Fake news, if you will permit me a colloquialism, is certainly a pain in the butt. The problem is, that it means that every new morsel of information has to be scrutinised to assess if it is genuine or just plain bunk. Clearly, discretion ought to be a part of every human interaction, but these days, it is so well-disguised as truth, that spotting it is becoming more difficult.

Having anti-fake news laws would act as a deterrent for malicious parties seeking to spread disinformation, but what constitutes "fake news"?

In Malaysia, the law covers digital publications (like news websites and blogs) and social media (Facebook, Twitter etc) and will purportedly apply to offenders who maliciously spread fake news inside and outside Malaysia.

This includes foreigners, but one really questions how this law could claim extra-territorial jurisdiction; i.e. apply to a citizen of a foreign country without having any extradition treaties with sovereign nations.

My issue really is that this law is being used to stifle dissent and criticism; not to mention prevent the public from being informed of the shenanigans of the ruling coalition. 1MDB is one of the biggest fiascos in the world, and I am still thinking of that Mongolian model blown up with C4 explosives.

News like this is particularly critical, considering the impending elections. The Malaysian government has always had a tenuous grasp of the concept of truth, as it frequently lies via the newspapers and the government owned TV channels.

Bare-faced lies.

The question is whether the public will allow itself to be manipulated into self-censorship or will it be business as usual?

Valuing Freedom And Civil Liberties

Malaysia is beginning to look bad.

Of course, some may refute my statement and say that it's always looked bad in the eyes of the world. But you've got to remember that human beings have short memories and in politics, things change in the blink of an eye.

As an example, Madey has been speaking out against the internet block on The Malaysian Insider, to the extent of comparing it to North Korea.

I totally support his views, but it has not escaped my attention that he was the one who began the decline of our civil liberties. It is notorious behaviour for someone who was alleged to have left the political stage over 12 years ago.

I find it particularly amusing because you and I both know that he still holds political sway and his views will not get him arrested or roughed up.

And yet, he's not the only one. Good ole Fahmi Reza has been making headlines again for his portrayal or Najib as a clown, not just in Malaysia or on Facebook, but on Slate, which is a somewhat progressive, left-wing American magazine.

I can understand why Slate is intrigued. America is not without its own issues.

For a country that waxes lyrical about freedom, authoritarianism is becoming vogue in America. A great deal of that explains why Donald Trump, who no normal person should take seriously (even if he, on a rare occasion, makes good points) as a person, is so popular.

Politico says:

Authoritarianism is not a new, untested concept in the American electorate. Since the rise of Nazi Germany, it has been one of the most widely studied ideas in social science. While its causes are still debated, the political behavior of authoritarians is not. Authoritarians obey. They rally to and follow strong leaders. And they respond aggressively to outsiders, especially when they feel threatened. From pledging to “make America great again” by building a wall on the border to promising to close mosques and ban Muslims from visiting the United States, Trump is playing directly to authoritarian inclinations.

I am surprised that the West; people who claim to be civilised and democratic, are turning away from the values that they once held dear.

They are adopting a barbaric way of life, which we assumed they had shed a century ago. Who would have thought the KKK are alive and strong today - and in modern California, of all places?

It is becoming starkly obvious that the American economy and civilisation is at the end of its cycle. Some new superpower will assume the mantle. People predict it will be China, but who knows for sure?

But it's startling for me to witness these changes and see how Malaysians are beginning to value their freedoms and rights, while Americans are beginning to exchange them for security and what they perceive to be a better quality of life.

It's startling, but as a Malaysian, it's also exciting.

Press Freedom Around The World

Malaysia is in a "difficult situation".

Go here for the original from Journaliste Sans Frontier which allows you to zoom in up close.

And what's the verdict on Malaysia? Go HERE.

Seeing The Light

I've always fancied myself as being somewhat quick on the uptake.

But even the smartest of us, miss things that in hindsight are blatantly obvious. Sometimes, it is because we are unwilling to accept reality. We deliberately blind ourselves to the truth.

Seeing the light can be a relief, though at times, it can even be painful.

I have seen the light. It has been rough, but I have seen it. Perhaps overdue, but I have finally been enlightened.

Others, on various issues of their own, are still struggling.

Do not let those who seek to deceive you succeed. Do not give them the opportunity to ensnare your mind any further.

Be open to the truth.

Forget about the physical achievements and think about that which is spiritual.

Why would you glorify first rate infrastructure when you are bogged down by third world mentality?

We are capable of so much more.

There is a brave new world waiting for Malaysians but it is not in hanging on to the past and the present political leaders whose performance despite the fresh slogans, are banal at best, and who have yet to learn that slogans, spin and lies do not make a nation, least of all a great one.

- Steve Oh -

Amen to that, Steve.

Najib's Shambolic Government And The Topic Of Journalism

I don't know where to begin. There is so much to refute in Najib's speech at the National Press Club awards.

Journalism in Malaysia is open in practice? Accountable?

What is he smoking?

Does he remember all the street protests and demonstrations that went unreported in the news? That were either completely ignored or unobtrusively mentioned in a 2 by 2 inch column?


Does he remember how the media reported the police claiming that they had used minimum force when photos around the web proved otherwise?

Is that open or accountable journalism?

Related: Najib’s annual insult to the press — carry out fearless, open journalism - Uppercaise

The Virtual Press Called Internet

Some of you may know that we have very little freedom of press but we have no idea to what extent.

Reporters Without Borders ranked Malaysia a low 141 out of 178 on its 2010 Press Freedom Index.

We probably rank higher than Burma and maybe Zimbabwe. I hate to break this to you, but that is no cause for celebration.

From NYT:

==================================

When thousands of protesters calling for electoral reform took to the streets here July 9, Malaysiakini, one of Malaysia's most popular news
Web sites, received 5.2 million hits, making the day one of the site's busiest since it was established in 1999.

An increasing tendency to seek news online is hardly unique to Malaysia. But here, it is not just technology driving readers to news Web sites.
It is also that - by design, and in contrast to countries like China, with its infamous Great Firewall - in Malaysia the Internet operates
outside the stringent laws that regulate the traditional media.

==================================

Read more here:

In Malaysia, Freedom of the (Virtual) Press

Censorship And Book Banning 528

The promise of access to censored stuff certainly clinched my presence at the KL-Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall.

I didn't stay for the entire session, but I certainly wasn't disappointed with the offering either.


It confirmed a lot of things which I had suspected about government censorship - the whole harassment and banning routine which is the hallmark of a dictatorship government.

Young talents like Sharon Chin told their side of the story. She had researched it in depth and she knew her stuff.

More info on her exhibitions and the government shenanigans can be found at her blog.

To date, about 1446 books have been banned in Malaysia.

But it's not just the books that get banned - movies aren't spared either.

I did a series on the morality police in 2007 and touched briefly on Amir Muhammad's latest offering then, a movie called The Last Communist, which loosely depicted the life of Chin Peng, the Malayan communist leader post WWII.

What was notoriously spectacular is that the movie was banned for having insufficient violence. I credit the civil servant who had that brainwave.

Only in Malaysia, folks. Only in Malaysia.

There are legitimate reasons why you should not wash down your morning packet of nasi lemak with a substantial mug of milo-ais-kao-kurang-manis, even if that routine conjures up a gastronomic delight.

This is one of them, especially if you're a civil servant.

But I digress.

The excuses may seem funny and we may dismiss it as standard government stupidity.

But at some point, our rights to have access to those books and movies are being violated by those who deem themselves as the guardians of our minds and morality.

528 Media Boycott Tomorrow!

Frustrated with CENSORSHIP & POLITICAL INTERFERENCE in the mainstream media?

No time to join PROTESTS, FLASH MOBS or send a COMPLAINT LETTER to RTM, Media Prima, etc?

TAKE SIMPLE ACTION:
Switch off your TV on 28 May (Fri), 8-9pm.
SAVE MEDIA FREEDOM!

Instead of watching BN government propaganda on TV that night, come join our Malam Tak Nak Potong 528

Date: 28th May, 2010
Time: 8:00 PM
Venue: Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah Hall, KL Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall

to watch C E N S O R E D S T U F F !!!!

SAY
NO to Political Interference!
NO to Media Self-Censorship!

For more information, go to the blog!

Investigating Civil Society Activists & Journalists

A while back, the Malaysian government, for reasons best known to God alone, decided to whip 3 Muslim women for having extra-marital sex.

As that sort of matter is obviously a personal matter between the women and God (and perhaps their families), Sisters In Islam rightfully spoke up against this atrocious travesty.

Now there are police investigations on Sisters in Islam for releasing a press statement on why whipping the three women was unjust.

Not only that, a column ('Persuasion, Not Compulsion') by The Star's managing editor P. Gunasegaran on the whipping issue also raised protests by the narrow-minded and those with a vested interest.

Once upon a time, we may have had some freedom of speech. Today, we don’t.

So at least make your voice heard by signing this petition initiated by the Women’s Aid Organisation.

Please sign it and pass on to friends too.

HRW Speaks Out Against Harrassment of M'Kini

Excerpts from Human Rights Watch:

Malaysia: Don’t Censor or Harass Independent Website

(New York) - The Malaysian government should drop its order to a popular news website to remove videos of a recent protest and of a government minister's reaction, Human Rights Watch said today.

The website Malaysiakini has refused to comply with a September 3, 2009 order by the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission to remove a video showing an incident where protesters in Selangor state marched with a severed cow's head to oppose the building of a Hindu temple and another in which the home minister stated that the actions were legal. The minister later reversed himself and police charged some of the protesters.

"The government wants to make the problem disappear by taking the videos off the internet," said Elaine Pearson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "But Malaysians have a right to see for themselves what happened and hear what was said - the government shouldn't be suppressing this information."

According to the Communication and Multimedia Commission, the videos are in violation of the Communication and Multimedia Act 1998, which prohibits "content which is indecent, obscene, false, menacing or offensive in character with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass another person." Violations carry fines of up to RM50,000 (US$14,325) and up to a year in prison.

The commission's letter ordering Malaysiakini to remove the videos from its website stated that the videos "contain offensive contents with the intent to annoy any person, especially Indians."

"The government's investigation of Malaysiakini is nothing short of media harassment and it needs to stop," said Pearson. "Malaysians are entitled to know all sides of a story. It is not up to the government to approve what news is fit to air, print, or post."

I genuinely feel embarrassed for the BN government. It puts its foot in its mouth so often that the foot ought to start paying the mouth some rent for taking up permanent residence there.

It screwed up royally when it rounded up the pseudo-Muslim gangsters to protest the relocation of the temple.

UMNO probably hoped it would garner Muslim sympathy and comradeship. It did not.

Then Hishamuddin Hussein attempted to calm trouble waters by pooh-poohing the whole issue. It backfired in his face. Literally.

He was caught on tape spouting rubbish. That move earned BN an all-time political pariah status.

Muslims were quite embarrassed (the poor things) and quick to disassociate themselves from those munafik imbeciles.

So he quickly changed his tune and ordered that those protestors be arrested and tried in court. Of course, you and I know they will be out in no time at all.

But he couldn't change the video in which he was caught making a fool of himself.

The smart thing (for any other normal being) would be to lie low and lick one's wounds in quiet.

But no. He gets a running dog, the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission to force Malaysiakini (who videoed him and uploaded it to its website) to remove those offending videos.

That sort of stupidity can only attract a whole new level of attention.

But BN has been around for ages. They haven't learned anything thus far, and they never will.

Banning Information For 3 Months

BN will never learn.

It tried to ban Malaysia Today - violating internet censorship rules - but it only succeeded in promoting the site to those who hadn't heard of it.

And those of us who *had* heard of it? Well, we redirected our readers to the mirror sites that popped out within hours of the ban.

So now they try to ban Harakah and Suara Keadilan for the next 3 months - the important moment for BN where it can endure no opposing views or that of a critical nature.

Will that work? You tell me.

Danger Of Internet Journalism In Asia

If you ever thought blogging was safe, think again.

Because frankly, folks, there is no safety in internet journalism.

As the year draws to an end, journalists are continuing to go to jail across the world for attempting to report what governments don’t want them to report. And, despite the perception that there is relative safety in Internet journalism, bloggers are going to jail faster than members of the mainstream press, according to a survey by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists.

It's becoming increasingly evident to me that jailing dissenters is a common practice by Asian governments, such as China, Uzbekistan, Burma and not least, MALAYSIA.

Maybe we should make Cuba an honorary Asian country since it also jails its journalists.

Out of curiosity, why do you think Asian countries have so many despots?

When Malaysia Is A "Role Model"

I know most of you don't read the mainstream media, and for good reason too.

There's nothing but crap in it, and I know your time is more important to you than to waste on reading gibberish that either means nothing or is too far removed from the truth.

But I have a point to make, so I ask you to read: Clinton: Malaysia a role model.

I know some of you are rolling your eyes already. I did too. Especially at this statement:

The former US president said the world would be a better place if it emulated Malaysia’s harmony and social tolerance.

Malaysia's harmony is artificial and the social tolerance is slowly eroding. Someone hasn't been doing his homework.

But this post is not purely about Malaysia or Bill Clinton.

It's also a reminder to consider the other side of the story. And the bigger picture.

Take this article in the New York Times for enlightenment as to what he was doing here in the first place: Bill Clinton Speech in Malaysia Irks Investors.

We are informed that in this case, Bill Clinton was invited by the Petra Group. He was PAID to speak, he did not visit Malaysia voluntarily.

And he was paid $200,000. I don't know about you, but that certainly isn't pocket change for me.

In the face of these circumstances, we can no longer take Clinton's comments as sincere and unbiased.

Now this Petra Group has been suffering some bad press, apparently even before high profile Hollywood actor Bruce Willis demanded his investment back.

Malaysia has been suffering lots of bad press, with its incessant need to brutalise its citizens who do not share the political views of the government.

Now I have been casually following the career of Bill Clinton.

Apart from his indiscretions with various interns in the White House and the lies he spouts under oath, he isn't exactly stupid.

I was once quite impressed with his responses during a talk show, he had a great sense of humour and strong knowledge of world politics.

The US State Department needs to review what he says and endorses to avoid taking conflicting stands in future.

Irene Fernandez Acquitted

I've been reading a lot of depressing news about Malaysia.

How yoga is banned, and how homosexuals are a shame. About those 7 individuals arrested at an anti-ISA rally. And some.

But I was happy to get some really good news today. Irene Fernandez was acquitted of the politically motivated charge of “maliciously publishing false news”.

Now if you have two brain cells to rub together, you'd know that the Malaysian government does treat its migrants in an inhumane and sadistic manner. Tenaganita is not the only one documenting such treatment.

Human Rights Watch does too.

Of course, her acquittal does NOT mean the Malaysian government has decided to come to its senses. Far from it.

Prosecutor Shamsul Sulaiman said the prosecution decided not to oppose the appeal because typed records from earlier court proceedings contained "systemic errors."

The errors occurred when a court official typed up the judge's handwritten notes, Shamsul said. He told the AP he would have been "quite confident of fighting the appeal" had the records been in order.

I wonder if they know exactly how stupid they sound when they say that.

But there's an idiot born everyday, and I suppose there's one who would believe it hook, line and sinker. And of course, one who would spout it.

If All Else Fails, Use ISA

A few people were genuinely upset over Ahmad Ismail calling the Chinese (and by proxy, Indians) "immigrants" and "squatters" in Malaysia. If the truth be told, I found it more amusing than upsetting.

But Ahmad Ismail was given a three-year suspension from UMNO, and no legal punishment, while Tan Hoon Cheng, the journalist from Sin Chew Daily who reported it got thrown under the ISA.

Now I'm upset.

Some people were upset at Khir Toyo making allegations that Teresa Kok, MP for Seputeh, had called for the mosque to cease sounding the azan from its loudspeakers because it was "annoying" the non-Muslims.

I found those allegations funny because it was so obviously false - the amplifier was damaged, that's why the azan wasn't sounded. It was even stated in a small, inconspicuous corner of the same newspaper reporting those deceitful accusations by Khir Toyo.

But Khir Toyo, who was so obviously trying to stir up Muslim sentiment is roaming free, while Teresa Kok has been thrown under the ISA.

Now I'm upset.

Raja Petra Kamaruddin had his blog, Malaysia Today blocked from access. I found it hysterical, because it barely impacted us. The clinical precision with which we switched websites and disseminated information is awesome.

But RPK just got thrown under the ISA. They're expecting more bloggers to be taken in.

Now I'm upset.

And this is precisely what the ruling coalition, Barisan Nasional wants me to feel. They want a knee-jerk reaction from me.

This action is meant to be unreasonable. The government wants to agitate me and turn me against my fellow Malaysian - the classic "divide and conquer".

They tried to agitate the Chinese by calling them names to get them to riot. It didn't work.

They tried to agitate the Malays with the story that their religion was being threatened. It didn't work.

They haven't bothered with the Indians. The last time the Indians took to the streets for a cause that was to a degree, somewhat selfish and individualistic, both the Chinese and Malays even backed them up! It just won't work.

You know why? We ceased being Malay, Chinese and Indian and simply became Malaysians. To some level, we have lost the distrust we once had for each other.

That's why we're not going to fall into their trap. We're not going to riot or cause chaos.

Because that will only lead to an Emergency Rule, and you can kiss all notions of democracy goodbye when that happens.

Journalists Complain Of Being Dissed

I find this highly amusing.

The journalists (if you can call those who write for tabloids that - we don't have legitimate mainstream media in Malaysia, remember?) have got their knickers in a knot for being prohibited from entering the parliament lobby.

They feel dissed. Treated like pests. Like low-down beggars hoping for a measly crumb.

"How demeaning is that..." they whimper in injured tones.

Yeah, well. Cry me a river.

Don't expect any sympathy from me, you fools! You lost my respect a long time ago when you traded your dignity for rewards from your masters, the Barisan Nasional goons.

You had a chance to redeem yourselves after March 8, and give fair and equal coverage to the politicians from Pakatan Rakyat, or what was formerly known as The Opposition.

But you didn't have the gumption for it.

I know what your excuse for that would be. "I was not allowed to."

Now you and I know that's a bowl of CRAPPOLA served up with sprinklings of high-fibre bran and dollops of milk!

If YOU don't report the truth, and in equal perspectives (that means unbiased coverage from both sides), who do you expect to bear that burden? Bloggers?

Heck. If YOU did your job properly, people like me would be relegated to blogging about Dunkin' Donuts, Victoria's Secret and ... Backstreet Boys.

Okay, maybe it's a good thing you're so dysfunctional.

But wake up and smell the coffee, folks.

Do you think I really care about the lies that some of our BN goons spout with utterly no shame displayed in their corrupted, asinine faces?

I want the real news from Pakatan Rakyat. And perhaps some dirt from BN. That's all it's good for anyway.

Take yourself seriously. Stop the biased reporting.

One day, maybe someone will respect you.

For Professional Journalism...

... and not the rabid spin-doctoring we have come to be accustomed to in Malaysia.


The official launch of BENAR will take place immediately following the CIJ forum on Press Freedom.

Time: 2:00pm

Date: 4th May, 2008

Venue: Central Market Annexe

Both the local and foreign media will attend the launch and the civil action initiative to promote truth in reporting will be elaborated on.

I heard they will also announce the Minggu BENAR from 1st to 7th June, 2008 during which week, everyone will be invited to do what they can to persuade those in control to remove the existing restrictions and allow our journalist community to report without fear or favour.

Don't miss this, folks.

Advertisers, Are You Listening?

I think by now, regular readers of Crankshaft are aware that the blog owner has a very low tolerance for the stupid people of the world.

Very high on that list of stupid people are those behind the mainstream media of Malaysia.

The people running the show behind the stacks of newsprint have had their collective brains so ridiculously short-circuited that they are unable to think beyond what their masters command.

Frankly, I thought the fear-mongering, taking-out-of-context, and just plain nauseous snivelling would end after we denied BN their two-thirds majority.

Turns out I was wrong. Very wrong.

Some say old habits die hard. And our mainstream media have been spinning for their bosses for a very long time. They need to be rehabilitated. Or euthanised.

Last December, a few of us agreed that we should boycott the newspapers. Somehow, we didn't get round to it - possibly because we were busy trying to whip the Opposition into becoming something decent enough that we could vote for.

But the time has come for us to resurrect the plan and put it into motion, because it sure as hell is a good move in possibly having some freedom of press in the distant future.

Officially today, we (that's me and a lot of other smart people) have started by refusing to buy the worthless crap that the mainstream media has the gall to call "news".

But refusing to purchase their tree-killing, habitat-diminishing, global-warmth-inducing bit of pulp fiction isn't going to make a dent on their finances. Barely.

And frankly folks, I don't believe in tickling their sides nor do I indulge in peek-a-boo with their sorry asses. I say bring them to their knees! Go for the jugular!

"How, Crankshaft?" you ask.

Simple. The Advertisers.

Now these folks spend pots of dosh just to get noticed. They're worse than Paris Hilton or Victoria Beckham or Lindsay Lohan.

If we just dropped some subtle (or maybe not so) hints that we will ignore them and their products if they continue to advertise with the mainstream media, perhaps they may come round to our point of view.

…By advertising your products and/or services in the MSM (newspapers, TV & radio), your company is directly supporting and sustaining the propagation of lies and half-truths, the censorship of information and the suppression of alternative viewpoints. Surely this is against the aim of any company that seeks to be a responsible corporate citizen!

…We trust that you, too, will recognize the value and the virtue of a free and fair press and hope that your company can stand on our side. Therefore, we respectfully ask that your company stops contributing to the revenue of the MSM by ending your advertisements or, at the very least, significantly reduce your advertising expenditures immediately.

What we need to do now, folks, is to get started on writing to these lovely advertisers. Haris has a list of them on his site. Download the PDF and scan for those that you patronise and get their email addresses.

Unfortunately, some websites have forms to fill with a lot of details before a feedback comment can be sent off. I personally vow to wade through these.

But before that, there are some with email addresses:-

Carrefour head office: hqmy@carrefour.com
Giant & Guardian: customerservice@giant.com.my
Jusco: feedback@jusco.com.my

Enough to get started anyway.

Had Enough Of The Lies Yet?

Go to The People's Parliament.

And for the love of God, cancel that subscription of worthless paper. How many cats and dogs do you have that you need to line their litter box? And how much garbage do you generate that you need to wrap it up with so much newspaper?

Save the planet. Save the trees. Stop buying paper that has no worth.

Paper Free Tuesday

It's not just me with a bone to pick.

I have ranted about the mainstream media in Malaysia being mouthpieces of the Barisan Nasional government before, of course.

And I certainly agreed with Haris Ibrahim that the newspapers should be boycotted. Finally, the initiative has been launched.

The press conference to launch ‘Paper Free Tuesday’ and to announce the several civil society initiatives related to the ‘Boycott the Newspapers’ initiative was held at the Blog House.

The Star, The Sun, The Oriental Daily, Malaysiakini, S-Keadilan, Artis Pro Aktif and Centre for Independent Journalism sent representatives to cover the press conference. Other bloggers also showed up for support.

Here's part of the press statement which I would like to highlight:

False reporting by MSM:

In truth, this is not a recent phenomenon but has been going on for some time. However, a reference to recent events of public importance and the less-than-honest coverage of the same by the MSM would be sufficient.

1. On 9 Oct 2007, Malaysiakini reported that the Ipoh Timur parliamentary constituency had seen an increase of 8,463 in the number of registered voters within the space of three months. Of particular concern were the new 3,208 postal voters even though there are no new army camps or new police stations in the constituency. MSM did not carry any report on this.
   
   
2. On 10 Nov 2007, a civil society-driven rally in Kuala Lumpur was attended by some 60,000 people of diverse backgrounds, calling for electoral reforms. Bersih supporters peaceably marched to the palace of the Yang DiPertuan Agong to deliver a people’s memorandum on the electoral reforms sought. Yet a report in The Star of the following day gave the impression that this rally comprised no more than 4,000 people and was effectively dispersed by the authorities.
   
   
3. On 20 Nov 2007, senior political correspondent Lydia Lim of the Singapore Straits Times reported on the 10 ongoing International Court of Justice hearings between Malaysia and Singapore to decide on the dispute between the two nations for sovereignty over the Pedra Branca. Lim’s report said that the Malaysian legal team had resorted to the use of a photograph of dubious authenticity lifted from an anonymous blog to create a photographic illusion and exaggerate the proximity of Pedra Branca to Johor. This scandal was reported in numerous blogs. However none of the MSM published this piece of disturbing news.
   
   
4. On 25 Nov 2007, some 30,000 Malaysians joined the Hindraf march headed for the British High Commission. In the early hours of that same day, several thousand Malaysians were forcefully contained in the compound of the Batu Caves. The Star reported on Nov 26 that the IGP had said no teargas or water cannons had been used at the Batu Caves. Nonetheless, many blogs and alternative news sources on the Internet published photographic evidence to the contrary. To date, The Star has not shown any inclination to pursue this matter with a view to giving its readers the truth. In fact, in the days following, there appeared to be a concerted and contrived effort through the MSM to unabashedly vilify this public rally as an attempt by Indians to stir up racial unrest.
   
   
5. On 19 Dec 2007, Malaysiakini reported a statement issued by Anwar Ibrahim in which the ex-deputy premier implicated former transport minister Dr Ling Liong Sik and his successor Chan Kong Choy in the RM4.8 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project irregularity. None of the MSM carried this news item. Interestingly, MSM have also not seen it fit to undertake an investigation into this scandal.
   
   
6. On 21 Jan 2008, most, if not all of the MSM reported a crowd of some 21,000 at the MIC-sponsored ‘Meet the PM’ rally at the Badminton Stadium in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur the previous day. Yet our own committee member who attended the event reported that the number of attendees ranged between 6,000 and 8,000 at best.

We're paying good, hard-earned money to receive honest news reporting. We expect to have some degree of professionalism. This, we're certainly NOT getting.

Apart from boycotting the papers, there's something else you can also do. There is a petition can be accessed and signed online at http://www.petitiononline.com/hartal/petition.html

Go and do your part as a responsible Malaysian.