YOURSAY 'As an IT practitioner of more than two decades, I am horrified at this draft bill. It can, and will, kill our IT industry.'

DAP: Computing Bill may stifle freedom of speech

Abasir: The workings of this ominous Computing Professionals Bill and its implications on the growth of the IT sector are too complicated for the likes of Maximus Ongkili and Co at Mosti (Ministry of Science, Technology & Innovation). That only means other hands (behind the scenes) are at work here.

What is patently clear is this: PM Najib Razak, in keeping with his declaration, is doing everything possible to "defend" Putrajaya "at all costs". This cost includes the regulating/throttling/controlling of IT professionals who contribute to the dissemination of information to the masses.

An ignorant electorate has long been the ticket to BN's two-thirds majority in the past. A centrally regulated body of information technology professionals will help control the flow of information and thus extend the miserable lives of the parasites.

Dr Mahathir Mohamad's Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC), which has long suffered roadblocks, speed bumps and potholes caused by greedy developers and failed politicians, will now experience a sudden narrowing and a bottleneck.

Great going, Maximus. Go on and do your mischief (as instructed).

Hann Wei Toh: In my opinion, the main purpose of the bill is to make sure those who deal with the critical systems are ‘certified' personnel. It also helps to create an atmosphere that self-improvement is important.

I do not think everything should be linked to the issue of ‘free speech'. In fact, most of us probably do not care about freedom of speech. As long as you write sensible stuff and do not create havoc in national security, you will usually not be affected.

I have been in a country with much stricter rules, and have been fine so far, despite using my real name in almost all online posts.

If it has the effect of restricting ‘freedom of speech', I think it is good for the country. There are just too many unsubstantiated claims in Malaysia, and after repeating them many times online, there are people who actually believe in them, and help propagating them.

Takung: As an IT practitioner of more than two decades, I am horrified at this draft bill. It can, and will, kill our IT industry and drive many, many out of work.

I really don't understand why we need this as there are many safeguards and methodology in place to manage IT projects. Having registered people in itself would not improve the quality of deliverables.

Blind Freddo: And here I was thinking that it was one of the roles of the courts is to clarify any ambiguities in the law.

If the courts can be manipulated, then how easy would it be to rig this Board of Computing Professionals. Maybe Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil could chair the board when she retires (finally) from politics.

Nil: The Computing Bill can be abused to make computers and IT useless. Why not ban them all? Let us return to stone tablets...

Mangodurian: For those in the know: rm -fr /*bn* is the command that is needed.

Wahaha: Mangodurian, by doing that, you'll only remove approximately only 25 percent... Should have been rm -fr /*[Bb][Nn]*\.

GovPayMaster: Need to re-format or re-initialise Putrajaya.

Karpal shoots himself in the foot

Mohan Ghandi: To many of us who support Pakatan Rakyat and DAP, DAP national chairperson Karpal Singh just negated all the good work done by party adviser Lim Kit Siang the previous night.

Both Karpal and Penang Deputy CM P Ramasamy must understand they are being idiotic and stupid, to put it mildly.

You are playing into Umno's hand as they are now questioning your ability to rule Penang, let alone Putrajaya. Both of you are destroying Pakatan Rakyat by your stubborn behaviour and warlordish and godfather-type of behaviour.

Why didn't Karpal take actions against Perak DAP chief Ngeh Koo Ham and state secretary Nga Kor Ming for their folly in Perak. Ipoh Barat MP M Kulasegaran was made to look like an idiot. Is it because Ngeh/Nga are too strong to reprimand?

When a man comes over to shake your hand, you don't turn him away, Karpal. You have lost it, big time.

David Dass: This is a good piece. The DAP should take note. Only Penang CM Lim Guan Eng reflects the maturity expected of a leader.

One cannot help feeling that there are undercurrents within the DAP that are dictating the state of play. I do not think that Karpal's public admonishment of Ramasamy was simply pique. The DAP needs to educate its own membership on the importance of reflecting a multiethnic culture.

For too long all parties have pursued ethnic issues and attracted ethnic support. That must change. Minorities like the Indians, the Orang Asli and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak need special attention because of entrenched poverty and the relative indifference of the majority communities.

The actual issue sparked of by Ramasamy should be resolved internally. The public are quite tired of the eternal skirmishing that seems to afflict the PKR more than the BN. This simply reflects deep-seated internal discord. If these parties cannot get their act together good luck to them in the forthcoming elections.

Retnam: Not so long ago in Selangor, Teresa Kok and Teng Chang Khim were at loggerheads. It passed. Things have settled down. The same will happen in Penang. There is no need to to blow it out of proportion.

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