YOURSAY | ‘After funding cybertroopers, the next logical step is to buy over critical media sites.’

Shake-up in the media industry looms

Kim Quek: It would be a sad day when The Malaysian Insider - one of the few remaining respected web portals - is turned into another mouthpiece of the Umno juggernaut, following the reported surrender of The Edge Media Group owner Tong Kooi Ong to its pressure.

Thus, the window of independent news (on this corrupt regime) that have been filtering through the Internet to this country is steadily closing, following a series of clampdowns by the Malaysian authorities.

Such a drastic bent towards totalitarianism as exemplified by the National Security Council (NSC) Bill is attributed to the determination of one man to stay in power - despite overwhelming incriminating evidence against him, as exposed in the 1MDB and RM2.6 billion scandals.

Hence, it is of utmost importance that these scandals be resolved quickly in accordance with the rule of law, if Malaysia is to avoid eventually morphing into a dictatorship like North Korea, or a failed state like Zimbabwe.

Odin Tajué: Kim Quek, I fear the scandals will not be resolved — at least not in the appropriate manner.

As you are doubtless aware, even the circumstantial evidence overwhelmingly points to PM Najib Razak allegedly benefiting billions, but he is there wielding unassailable power, and most involved in the probes are all ‘cari-ing makan’.

And haven't some people been saying Malaysia was turning to be a North Korea or a Zimbabwe? It is not turning to be. In fact, it is already worse than either one.

It is Oceania realised. Umno is the Party. The plundering, cowardly, silvery-tongued Bugis warrior wannabe is Big Brother.

Non-Umnoputras are Winston Smiths. They are not supposed to enjoy the dignity of having their own name, see? So, everyone is Winston Smith. They all live in the Prole district.

You have the Ministry of Truth in Putar Jaya, the new capital of Oceania. Portals such as The Malaysian Insider all make up the Fiction Department in that ministry.

Go buy your diary, Winston Smith, but watch your move. Because Big Brother is watching you 24/7 wherever you are.

Wybie : I have all along thought that Tong Kooi Ong would yield to pressure. He is, first and foremost, a businessman.

The way he allegedly played out former PetroSaudi International executive Xavier Andre Justo speaks volumes of his ethics, or the lack of them.

Vijay47: Changing the ownership of a well-patronised news portal need not mean its popularity will continue, since what the people want is a news provider where the reports can be relied on, not propaganda drivel.

So if The Malaysian Insider falls into the hands of pro-Najib Abdul Razak forces, it will simply result in another portal biting the dust.

With its unlimited - and even growing - funds, Umno can keep buying over news sites not in its favour and administer the coup de grace.

But that would not result in the public flocking to the New Straits Times , The Star , or Utusan Malaysia , not even if they were given away free of charge.

Who will be the last man standing? Malaysiakini ?

Anakraja: Stopping the Malay version of Astro Awani is to block good and progressive information to the Malay-language community.

In this way, no good news will be available to those who communicate solely in the Malay language. In this way, the development of the Malay community will be delayed.

To all Malaysians, I urge you to get to know more than three languages. This will help you to seek better jobs and a better life for your families and future generations.

The different languages one has can then be used to cut across various taboos.

Anonymous 2299391436500295 : I would say, just go ahead and block everything like China does.

But I do have a lot of educated friends in China who laugh at their own government's crude propaganda and they read real news from outside the country using virtual private networks (VPNs).

Although China's ‘Great Firewall’ blocks VPNs too, people get around that with help from technicians.

Meanwhile, I see a lot of rabid Chinese in Malaysia who fervently and stupidly believe everything the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) government in China says. Perhaps it is because the Chinese here have been subjected to Muslim arrogance for too long?

http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/237748

I'm in Hong Kong now, where everybody knows the Chinese government has abducted the owner and two employees of a major bookstore because they've sold books banned in China.

The New York Times has reported on this news as well. Will they be abducting New York Times publishers in New York next?

I like and respect the Chinese - just not their disgusting CCP government. Mirror copies will be coming soon to Malaysia, to be grafted onto the Muslim ‘oppression’.

Frankie: News media, being the fourth estate in a democracy, should be allocated with funds from the state coffers, just like the royalties and the judiciary.

They are after all working indirectly for the rakyat to ensure checks and balances.

Every Vote Counts: Well, we still have Malaysiakini ... please make my RM1,000 brick donation worthwhile.

Isana: With their bunch of cybertroopers and paid spinners not doing a good job in winning the cyber warfare, the next logical step is to intimidate and buy over critical media sites.

Well, that's the power of RM2.6 billion.

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