As a regular writer in the letter to editor column, I am a bit alarmed that the editors of malaysiakini dared to expose the much valued channel of public opinion in this country to such a risk on April 1.
The stakeholders of malaysiakini now is no longer its shareholders but all of us who love freedom of expression, who spent a lot of time analysing as to what is happening to the country and where our grandchildren would be heading to in the future. It is therefore our sincere hope that this would not happen again.
Looking on the positive side of things this shock treatment sometimes is necessary to jolt the short memories of Malaysians that what had been promised to them by the political masters during the last general election do not appear to be forthcoming. Many of the major criminal cases that were suppose to be landmark cases for the new political leadership had met with delays in the courts and is in danger of being kept in abeyance forever.
There appears to be little difference between before and after Pak Lah's premiership. In fact, to camouflage the lack of progress in these major cases, petty crimes had been given prime attention and had been over-reported by mainstream papers, giving the impression that our country has the highest crime rate in the world. This had very seriously tarnished the image of our country overseas.
Malaysiakini had been assailed by brickbats that it has chosen to invite. It has certainly been a field day for those who love taking cheap potshots at what had been made out to be a 'marginal' but much loved and respected media.
One thing I am sure. The readership of malaysiakini is among the more learned and matured compared to that of other papers. They have given rise to a new Malaysian nationalism that is more relevant to the globalised world. They have articulated the concept of Bangsa Malaysia earlier than any political party. It is the forum where some of the most critical national issues had been deliberated with depth and profundity.
Going forward, it is indeed our hope that malaysiakini would manage its brand equity and reputational risks better.