COMMENT Is it evil to circumvent blocked websites?

It depends on whether the website is subversive or pornographic in nature, but these days, to politicians everything including urgings for greater transparency is akin to pornography.

Why is it that our politicians are so afraid of even information flow from websites such as Sarawak Report and Bersih to civil society unless they have something to hide?

As a result, these two websites have been blocked. Therefore, tell me: is it evil (repeating the word used by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission or MCMA recently) for one to circumvent the block?

We know that tens of thousands of people will be trying to access the Bersih website to get the latest information this weekend, but the MCMC has seen it fit to block the communication line. It does not make sense unless the Malaysian government is at war with the people.

How to unblock

There are many ways to unblock a website. All it really takes is to Google for keywords like ‘how to unblock a website’.

However, one site that I find particularly useful that has been shared by people on Whatsapp is https://sitenable.com . The moment one keys in the website URL that is blocked, for example, www.bersih.org or www.sarawakreport.org , the information can be assessed straightaway.

At the same time, Sarawak Report has been providing its latest articles via Facebook. All that one needs to do is to search within Facebook the page for Sarawak Report and ‘Like’ it, and every article will be there.

When a website is blocked, it raises more curiosity; therefore, it is just counterproductive for the MCMC to block certain websites. When word gets around, people will want to know what is published therein. This is when they will find ways to get to the source of the information.

So, tell me, is there any good reason for MCMC to over-react to what is supposed to be a peaceful demonstration for 36 hours? Or, to even label the efforts people put in to circumvent the block as ‘evil’?

Bersih 2.0 has also launched its own Apps known as PRIME which can be downloaded on the mobile phone, thanks to people who must have been working around the clock to get the applications done. Information can also be received through Tweets and FireChat, which enables people to chat even using Bluetooth connections.

Why free flow of information is important

In a chaotic situation, people need to know the officials instruction from the commander-in-chief; therefore, in a situation like Bersih 4, if the information from Maria Chin Abdullah is not reaching the people, it may lead to confusion.

We should not allow this to happen, and MCMC should ensure that it facilitates the rally rather than attempt to create confusion to the rally goers. I urge Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s administration to immediately unblock the Bersih website or he will be held responsible for any untoward incident that happens due to communication breakdown.

STEPHEN NG is an ordinary citizen with an avid interest in following political developments in the country since 2008.