A David vs Goliath battle for online media

comments     Yoursay     Published     Updated

YOURSAY ‘You helped Malaysians form our opinion and decide on our votes.’

 

When only tycoons get to enjoy press freedom

Vijay47: There are so many things for Malaysiakini to be proud of. Not so much that you took on e-giants like Google and survived but that in true David and Goliath fashion you took on evil forces like Umno, gave them a bloody nose and lived to fight another day.

 

Keeping your accounts in the black is no doubt worthy of respect and of course comfort to shareholders perhaps, but your biggest achievement is in what you gave us, the public - news as it is without being subservient to political pressures.

 

Malaysiakini is that fresh air of change that we so badly needed, a change from the likes of New Straits Times and The Star , and certainly, Utusan Malaysia .

 

You helped Malaysians form our opinion and decide on our votes. The viable opposition we achieved, and soon we hope the government, is in no small measure due to Malaysiakini and similar portals who dared to face the onslaught.

 

We subscribers may be cowards at heart but Malaysiakini , you can be sure of our support in our own little ways.

 

YouAreNotAlone: Malaysiakini , the perseverance and efforts are well worth it. I believe more good things are yet to come. Be patient and brave and continue your good work in ethical journalism.

 

Believe in yourself and the path you have chosen. As long as you are conscience-healthy, the people will be with you through thick and thin.

 

I wish you a very happy and fruitful 15th anniversary. May the times ahead bring you more subscribers, prosperity and progress to our nation.

 

Telestai!: " Malaysiakini has survived financially - independent from self-serving politicians and tainted tycoons - all these years." Indeed.

 

This is the only reason why as an Australian born in Malaysia, I am subscribing to Malaysiakini . I could have gone to free news sites but I want to read independent news.

 

If Malaysiakini meddles in politics in any shape or form, I'll terminate my subscription - something which I've promised editor-in-chief Steven Gan.

 

By the way, happy anniversary and happy house-moving. Wish I could be there. May God bless Malaysiakini .

 

Versey: Vijay47, YouAreNotAlone and Telestai! have well expressed all that in my mind. I'm sure most Malaysiakini readers share the same thoughts, too.

 

Thanks to all Malaysiakini's staff for your diligent contributions to keep us, your readers, well informed of happenings in Malaysia. Keep up the good work.

 

Wishing you all the best in your undertakings, a joyful 15th anniversary and a successful and happy ‘office warming’ party.

 

Axolotl: Malaysiakini's two founders, Steven Gan and Premesh Chandran, are the embodiment of decent, competent and compassionate human beings - the very attributes it takes to establish any organisation or project on a solid foundation.

 

Why Mahathir Mohamad's ‘Malaysia, Inc’ has abysmally failed is simply because those simple qualities have been missing in the greed-blinded, ego-driven ‘Ketuanan’ regime that is BN.

 

Prudent: Malaysiakini , watch out for your Achilles’ heel - please don't ever be tempted to get a printing licence from the powers-that-be by catering to them in occasionally renting out a part of your portal as a news and views ‘brothel’ to news and views ‘prostitutes’ to satisfy their very powerful news and views clients.

 

If you do this, you shall almost certainly rue the day.

 

Wg321: From my smartphone, I still cannot read the comments from readers after each news item from Malaysiakini . Many a times, the commentaries from readers are more interesting than the news item itself.

 

I hope Malaysiakini can correct this shortcoming. If I can read commentaries from readers in other news portals like The Malaysian Insider , etc, there is no reason why this cannot be done in Malaysiakini . (Editor’s note: We are already working on it.)

 

MrM: This is very heart-warming to read, sspecially the bit where Malaysiakini staff are also shareholders.

 

However I have a small comment - I’m a customer. I don’t pay you to watch the ads and frankly the in-your-face nature of the ads on Malaysiakini are getting tiring.

 

You have a duty to your paying customers not to over-advertise. We have a choice to go elsewhere.

 

Dizzer: Malaysiakini has to take advertising to make ends meet. I can't think of a single news outlet that survives on subscription sales alone. Media organisations provide a crucial social service, but they are not a charity.

Bumiputhran: Not so long ago, the owner of a large rubber glove factory in Meru grossly abused his migrant workers.                                                                                    

The company had imprisoned one of the workers without a fair hearing in the company's private prison aided by thugs employed by the company. The police had to go into the compound and rescue the worker.

 

None of the mainstream media wanted to carry this gruesome incident of human trafficking. The editor of Malaysiakini and a senior reporter investigated and exposed the account in an online report.

 

The owner of the factory is a Tan Sri and has the media under his pay and control, but not Malaysiakini . Thank you Malaysiakini, for fighting for justice for the downtrodden.

 

I'm Malaysian: Congratulations and long may Malaysiakini live! I got moist eyed when I read this story, but like you I want and do support freedom of the press and quality journalism. On that score, I shall remain a subscriber of Malaysiakini for good.

 

Osama: Steven and Premesh, congratulations and happy anniversary and may the fifth estate survive due to all your noble efforts and those of your team.

                                                           

In the annals of Malaysian history, the emergence of Malaysiakini will be recorded as a turning point in our national political development.


The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. Over the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now.

These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.



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