‘Imagine if billions of Chinese computers are forced to install this filtering software, how much money can be made from this? Are the software vendors now knocking on Malaysia's door?’On Rais defends Internet filter plan
Hardtail: Someone somewhere is trying to make a fast buck. Imagine if billions of Chinese computers are forced to install this filtering software, how much money can be made from this? Now that the Green Dam project is facing opposition, are the software vendors now knocking on Malaysia's door? Who cares if turns Malaysia into an IT industry pariah? Who cares if it turns MSC into ‘Malaysian Sites Censored’?
Seanang.tv: Under the Sesawe project, there are altogether 18 countries blacklisted by the West as pariah nations of the Internet world. Not only will the ban be ineffective, it will trigger an Internet outcry. And reputation of Malaysian will do down the drains. There are dozens of circumvention tools such TOR, Pshiphon and FirePhoenix.
Users will be spoilt with choices on how they could access the banned sites. Besides that, it is too late for Barisan Nasional to cut communication between Pakatan Rakyat and the citizenry as they have already made huge inroads into new constituents. Looking on the bright side, as a result of the ban, new voters will overwhelmingly vote Pakatan in the next election. Is Rais Yatim committing political suicide or some of his advisors are plain stupid?
Lim Boo Seng: Look who is talking now - a minister of information who doesn't know what a citizen journalist is, now attempts to filter the Internet? Rais Yatim, are you sure you know what you are talking about? I wonder you know what the Internet is, let alone even browse websites. Shame on you!
Beijing-based Malaysian: I pray that this ‘Censorship Bill’ would never ever passed in Malaysia. I’m based in China, and for quite a few years been suffering from the ‘free-flow’ of information in China. At first, they blocked Multipply. Then they block most, if not all, foreign-hosted blogs such as Blogspot, Typepad, and now, they have even blocked YouTube and Facebook!
Well, they do occasionally block BBC and CNN news ... it is frustrating if you need to get information right there and then. I pray that Malaysiakini will just focus on Malaysian news, and not make a big hoo-ha about China sensitive-related news, otherwise my only source of information relating to Malaysia - my home country - would be gone!
I would literally lose contact with many of my international online friends overnight. So Malaysiakini, please... for the sake of the 20,000-30,000 Malaysians living and making a living here - we do follow Malaysiakini regularly.
Mohamed Assari: They do realise that filters are largely ineffective, don't they? Numerous workarounds exist. Furthermore, the most effective filters slow the Internet down as much as 87 percent; those that decrease speeds by only 7 percent are useless.
Besides, the Internet is so monstrously huge that the truly determined would access whatever material they want easily. Are we children? By attempting to force their morals on the rest of the population, the government is implying that we are so lacking in judgement, in morals, in sense, that higher authorities must step in and handle matters for us. It's insulting. It's condescending. It's ridiculous.
On Language switch: Gov't bars parents-teachers meet
Frustrated Parent: The BN government continues to be very stubborn and refuses to listen to the voice of the rakyat. The PTAs are legitimate bodies representing citizens who are mostly affected by the recent decision to switch the teaching of Maths and Science to BM and mother tongue. Why is the government banning a legal and peaceful meeting?
Let me make it plain and simple to the BN government - I am one of the silent majority. I wholeheartedly support the teaching of Maths and Science in English. But like many other peace-loving Malaysians, we have tried to persuade you through peaceful means to provide us an option to have Maths and Science taught in English for our children but to no avail.
You refuse to listen to us, the very citizen you are supposed to serve. You shut down the Education Ministry feedback line. You ban peaceful meetings. You ignore the poll conducted by Tun Dr Mahathir blog site that shows an overwhelming number of people - about 86 percent of 100,000 votes polled do not support the government's decision to revert the teaching of Maths and Science to BM and mother tongue.
You force your decision upon us for your own political benefit and at the expense of our children's future. What then do you expect? And you wonder why people do mass protests in the streets.
Azaman Abu Bakar: It is quite obvious that our government wants to get feedback from the people. But there is one condition though: the 'feedback' must be in line with whatever has been decided by the government. It's like Henry Ford telling everyone that all Ford cars can be painted in any colour, as long as it is black.
Satria Asia: Why were PTAs (parents and teachers associations) previously silent on this earlier? They allowed the anti-PPSMI groups to make noise, even hold demos and these people have won. It's now too late.
Tan Kian Khim: The Education Ministry has no mandate, right or power to block a PTA meeting. This is a just another case of the politicised civil service overstepping its boundaries with impunity.
- Dozens of circumvention tools out there
- Why were PTAs silent until now?