News

  • Nation
  • World Updates
  • Courts
  • Parliament
  • Columnists
  • Opinion
  • Honours List

Saturday August 30, 2008 MYT 8:32:22 PM

Malaysia Today has no respect for religion: Syed Hamid

By SHAHANAAZ HABIB


KAJANG: The Malaysia Today news portal has no respect at all for religion even though the topic is very sensitive and the "fire of religion" could cause chaos and havoc, said Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar.

The Home Minister said as public figures, politicians know they are bound to be criticised and fair criticism even in cyberspace was something that was welcomed because it was a wake up call to "make us realise where we have gone astray and what people are not happy about."

He said however that this did not mean it could be used to disparage, defame, libel and circulate untruths without boundaries and restraint, and that the Government has a responsibility to act in the name of public interest.

Syed Hamid noted that although court action was being taken against Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamaruddin over some of the defamatory articles he published on his website, "instead of sobering it, he went further in his personal attacks."

"If he wants to criticise 'this is wrong, that is wrong, this is corrupt', that is okay but you must not create public fear, or send a message that would cause uncertainty and a lot of damage to the country in terms of public confidence and investor confidence," he told reporters Saturday after attending the Merdeka celebrations at the Kajang Prison.

Earlier this week, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (SKMM) said it was blocking access to the Malaysia Today website under Section 263 of the Act.

Energy Water and Communications Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor and Home Minister Syed Hamid said the government did not instruct SKMM to do so.

Utusan Malaysia reported on Saturday that SKMM had banned Malaysia Today not for political reasons or because it was very critical of politicians such as Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, but because the website had insulted the Prophet Muhammad.

The SKMM head Mohamed Shahril Mohamed Tarmizi told Utusan that the ban against Malaysia Today was because an article in the website had tried to draw parallels of the Holy Prophet to the former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda's Osama bin Laden.

Syed Hamid said countries take action when people profane religion "what more from a person (Raja Petra) who professes to be a Muslim."

"I thought personally when they (SKMM) took action - under current developments - that we were very slow to take action even though we are hurt very badly so often," he added.

He denied that the ban was tantamount to censoring the Internet, saying that even other countries banned some sites such as one on paedophiles, circulating hate mail or Osama bin Laden.

He stressed that the cyberspace ultimately was not controllable.

On whether the action would backfire by making the Malaysia Today news portal even more popular, Syed Hamid said there was always that possibility but the Government makes decisions based on principles and in the best interest of the public.

"I hope this will be understood in that context. It is not moving one step behind but protecting the good for the many and trying to avoid possible repercussions that could be worst," he added.

On whether the Government wanted to warn bloggers, he said, there was no need to do so.

He said bloggers just had to act responsibly and understand the sensitivities and not offend people or threaten the country's security by bringing about conflict between religions, races or cultures.

  • E-mail this story
  • Print this story

News Poll