It was not too long ago that someone important labeled bloggers as monkeys! Bloggers were labeled as ‘irresponsible’ and accused of ‘lie-spreading’ never mind that the number one lie-spreader award should go to the mainstream media.

After the recent general election, one of the most noticeable changes in Malaysia was the sudden mushrooming of blogs - especially by BN politicians. It was as if they were waiting to obtain their licenses to blog and those licenses were suddenly granted after the election; never-mind that blogging does not require a license, except perhaps one of conscience, time and a sense of responsibility.

Suddenly, within the short period of 50 days after the election, blogs are mushrooming. No more worries of being labeled ‘anti-government’ - these politicians have opted to join the ranks of the ‘monkeys’. They have decided to join us in the ‘jungle’.

On a personal front, as a member of Gerakan (and a former KL party state secretary), it was not too long ago that even some of my own comrades looked at me, a blogger, as an ‘extremist’ with the potential of ‘rocking the boat’.

I was classified as a ‘non-team player’ by some because of my blogging, even though what I blogged is about our ideology - which is to create a fair, equal and multiracial society. I believe in that ideology and I have never veered from that.

I have blogged for about one-and-a-half years now, and I would like to believe that I have done my wee bit in bringing about an awareness of good governance, freedom and equality. I like to believe that I have done my little bit to make the world a better place.

If the team has veered from that ideology, I feel that it is my responsibility and my duty as a member of that team to remind the team that they have to go back to the ideology. Never mind the label of ‘non-team player’, never mind the character assassination that one senior member has been undertaking.

I have all this while never answered to any of these labels because I feel that my conscience is clear. I cannot and would not veer from my objective of a fair and equal society and to make this world a better place so that next time, when my children ask me what I have done, I can answer proudly that I have done my little bit in voicing out for what I believe in.

I feel vindicated by this sudden mushrooming of the blogs and I am sure my fellow ‘monkeys’ in the old blogosphere will feel the same vindication - those who criticised blogs before are now rushing in to create their own blogs.

To these new kids (or shall I say new monkeys) on the ‘blog’, I say welcome to the blogosphere. It will be interesting to see how these politicians (especially those from Umno) blog, because whatever is written serves as a record for posterity, and whatever they advocate, they cannot turn around and say ‘I never said so’.

Blogging is really a test of one’s sincerity and conscience. Do not blog just for the sake of blogging and do not blog just because it is now fashionable to do so.