I read with dismay at the piece of news that bloggers in Malaysia may need to register themselves with dunno-what-what ministry. This is of course another one of those bright ideas of dunno which minister who has nothing better to do. Is it a good sign that bloggers are a recognised voice in the new media? Unfortunately, we are being recognised as being the people who are spreading lies online, and recently, women bloggers especially were accused of doing so!

I hope that this proposal will come to nought because to force all bloggers to register themselves is like killing the voice of freedom. This is a basic human right which will be violated. Most bloggers are responsible citizens of the country. We do not spread lies or rumours but we uphold our rights in the country and speak our minds where we are censored in mainstream media.

If the Government enforces such a rule, I am sure there is a way to force us to comply, just like how now all prepaid users are registered. However, don’t think that by keeping a register of all bloggers, the country’s problems will be solved, because bloggers aren’t the cause of the problems, you know?

Several tai kor bloggers of Malaysia are setting up a bloggers alliance. Maybe these tai kor bloggers felt that bloggers in Malaysia are threatened by the authorities that they need an alliance to protect their rights and the voice of the blogger could be better heard, and louder too, as a united body; i.e. an alliance.

Am I talking about an alliance, association or a union? I am unclear myself.

A reliable source told me that something is wrong with the country if bloggers need to form an alliance to feel a sense of security. Blogging is an individual choice and people should be free to blog or not to blog.

I too agree that something is amiss with the environment if bloggers feel that blogging warrants the registration with an alliance. Since the legal entanglement of two blogging heavyweights, things are not the same anymore. What has become of our blogosphere?

Yesterday, there was this piece of news in the national papers on Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme.

Tuesday January 23, 2007

Malaysia My Second Home programme under threat By MANJIT KAUR

KUALA LUMPUR: “Hanky-panky” by officers in a government department and unscrupulous agents are jeopardising efforts to promote the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme.

Our tourism minister said that:

“Unfortunately during this transition period (one year), some of the officers from a department did something which is not nice for me to say.

“But the mess has been cleaned up by the department, and we are working closely to ensure that such incidences do not occur again.

“A few officers from the department have been sacked for not following the stipulated rules and regulations on fixed deposits,”

What a laugh. Isn’t that a gov’men department and don’t we, the rakyat, have the right to demand for transparency? How can a statement like that be allowed to slide? Not nice to say so don’t say issit? Wahhh What has become of Malaysia?