YOURSAY ‘Smartphones would not have caused problems for the government had the mainstream media done its job.'

'Smartphones present greatest danger in GE13'

Starr: Alternative media only became popular because the mainstream media didn't do its job properly. So smartphones would not have caused problems for the government had the mainstream done its job.

Blaming technology for its own failures is the defeatist attitude of Umno-BN, which has not learned since 2008.

Wira: Any rumour can be easily verified within minutes via the social media, including those created by this media. As a user, I don't feel threatened by it.

Maybe those who are used to spinning news are hampered by it because their handiwork will not stand the scrutiny of the social media.

Awangku: For years the public have been bluffed by Umno who spun stories as they like. Now you are telling me smartphones can change all that. Wonderful then.

ABU, Don't Play Play: Actually, the People's Power revolution in the Philippines in 1986 was amongst the earliest instance when the use of short messaging service (SMS) brought down a corrupt regime (Marcos). It seems we have come a full circle (1986 to 2013) - 27 years is a long cycle.

Today the son of Cory Aquino (Benigno Aquino III, the current president of the Philippines) is showing PM Najib Razak how to deal with the terrorists in Lahad Datu.

Moreover, the president of the Philippines (and Indonesia) cannot serve more than two terms. In Najib's case, let us make it a half-term by kicking him out in GE13. Actually an unofficial term since he never did obtain his own mandate.

Anonymous e_68.474958: Smartphones work both ways for BN and Pakatan and nobody has any advantage. So this is a non-issue.

Fairnessforall: More than smartphones, TV3 and Bernama have been spreading all kinds of false news. Smartphones can be used to provide evidence with pictures to show that TV3 and Bernama are telling lies.

2LAN: No longer do we have to wait for the mainstream media, especially TV, to sparingly announce the election results.

No longer do we have to tolerate the lies which would form the headlines on the mainstream media, especially on the eve of elections. Truth, not the medium like a smartphone, is the enemy of BN.

Anonymous #19098644: Yes, the smartphone can take pictures of vote-buying, foreigners voting or ballot stuffing. The smartphone can give instant transfer of counted votes even before the Election Commission (EC) can massage the results.

The smartphone can call eligible voters to come out to exercise their constitutional rights. It can disseminate immediately what is actually happening rather than the spins, half-truths and lies of Bernama , Umno and the BN, thus resulting in a crisis for those who intend to cheat and usurp the rights of the rakyat.

AB Sulaiman: Do bear in mind that the more immediate danger facing the next general election is not the smartphones, but the long list of illegal instant voters. Blogger and veteran editor A Kadir Jasin is just trying to deflect this more pressing issue from us.

ABU_sed!!: The big question is why does the public trust cyber news more than the mainstream media?

Simple answer: The mainstream media is full of political propaganda, half-truths and outright lies and the public know it.

Mahashitla: An experienced and smart media man like Kadir Jasin knows pretty well that should BN want to play dirty, they need to ban smartphones.

It is expected that this is going to be the dirtiest general election, and we have a smart Umno man suggesting ways to prevent any electoral fraud from being exposed. Nice try, Kadir.

Abasir: Yes, Umno. Ban smart phones and unleash Perkasa Mat Rempits and Umno thugs. Seriously though, why is it Umno has a monopoly on stupidity (as Kadir Jasin has just demonstrated)? Why does it attract imbeciles... all the time?

Mushiro: When the government and the EC has a big plan to cheat in a big way, then everything can be a problem. The illegal instant voters can be a problem, similarly the indelible ink, the biased police, the government-controlled mainstream media (MSM), etc.

Anonyxyz: Smartphones can also be used by BN to force their instant voters to snap photos showing evidence that they voted for BN in order to collect their money or justify their instant ICs and citizenship.

Clearwater: Ban smartphones? Why not ban stupid politicians from running for office? That's the more logical course of action.

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