Malaysia: The Internet and The Country.
I have been terribly frustrated with some of the current issues in Malaysia. First, the Auditor-General’s Report 2006 outlined that ministries have been overspending with public funds. Including:
- set of screwdrivers(brand unknown) for RM224, which only worths RM34 per set on the market.
- Faber Castell Technical Pens for RM1,147 per set, which only worths RM160 per set on the market.
- 2 Tonnes Car Jack for RM5,741 per set, which only worths RM50 per set on the market.
These are no lies, though administration tends to label bloggers as liars. These report are from Auditor-General Malaysia(JABATAN AUDIT NEGARA MALAYSIA). I’m not in the mood to tell you more about this, please download and read the reports yourself.(In Bahasa Malaysia). More news on the TheStar Malaysia
Then, this Riot at Pantai Batu Buruk, Terengganu sparked off on a public speech organized by BERSIH(COALITION FOR CLEAN AND FAIR ELECTIONS, a NGO)last Saturday night. Live bullets fired at unarmed civilians by FRU(Federal Reserved Unit). Mainstream media claimed that the officer had to fire at the crowd as he’s been assaulted. Water cannon and tear gas are also used to disperse the crowd. Again, censorship from authority is heavily applied in news reporting of this incident. Now all the opposition parties have something to do with this, according to mainstream media.
Without Internet, some alternative voices cannot be heard, and without Internet, all our sources of Information will have to rely on mainstream media. There is no space for questions, no space for debates, and no space for freedom of speech.
Now, only I’ve realized. Why there is only one broadband ISP in this country, why I have been using a 1MB connection since 2003, and why I have been complaining about it. It is designed to be like this, for the governance need. The countrymen just can’t be allowed to grow too smart.