The government's decision not to censor Internet pornography has evoked mixed reactions from community leaders today.

Maria Chin Abdullah, executive director at the Women's Development Collective (WDC), said she regards pornography as a violation of women's civil rights, of which sexual violence against women is just one significant dimension.

She defined pornography as sexually explicit material (verbal or pictorial) designed to produce sexual arousal in viewers and deliberately or negligently bring about harm to women and children.

This, she added, excluded anatomy textbooks and materials that have artistic or political points.

"The government has to distinguish and make clear what they are referring to. The minister seems to think that pornography is published and consumed by a small and marginalised minority, which can be curbed through private censorship.

"He (has) missed the point," she said in an e-mail communique.

Maria was responding to an article in the Star today which quoted Deputy Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Kong Cho Ha as saying that curbing online pornography would defeat the government's promotion of the information communications technology (ICT) industry and its aim to create a knowledge-based community.

He also said that such materials can still be curbed by installing certain softwares that block access to such websites.

However, Maria had a different take on the issue.

"By saying that the ministry will leave it to homes and businesses to sort out pornography is washing its hands off a long-standing issue of violence against women," she said

Multi-dimensional approach

On the same note, she acknowledged that censorship cannot be the only solution.

"There needs to be a multi-dimensional approach that will ensure the public are educated on the negative impact of harmful pornographic materials and the state must have the political will to take legal action against violators and distributors of such materials," she added.

Agreeing with Maria on the caution of forced censorship, DAP parliamentarian Fong Po Kuan submitted that self-discipline and education are the most affective tools to alleviate the problems that come with pornography.

She placed a greater responsibility on parents too.

"When there's Internet access at home, parents should exercise care when allowing children the freedom to use it to ensure there is no abuse. Parents themselves should lead by example and educate children on the right use of cyberspace," she said when contacted.

Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) president N Marimuthu defended the government's stand saying that if restrictions are introduced over the Internet, it would give rise to greater restriction on freedom of information.

"The existence of the Internet is for knowledge. Unfortunately there is a price to pay for it. But we cannot just leave it to an authority to censor material on the net as it would jeopardise alternative sources of information," he said placing the onus on parents to do more as well.

Global issue

Looking beyond the national front was rights lawyer Ramdas Tikamdas who said the very nature of Internet global networking might be undermined if governments were allowed to arbitrarily censure information while being motivated by a personal agenda.

"That having been said, what about incitement to discrimination, hostility, terrorism or propaganda for war or promotion of hardcore pornography?" he said rhetorically.

"I believe that so long as there is a reasonable secular-based censorship by an international body administered by the United Nations, and intended to proscribe only those noxious matters referred to in international covenants, it would not undermine free speech and expression".

However, the government was not let off the hook so easily by PAS Youth chief Salahuddin Ayub who expressed disagreement with the minister's views and criticised the government's 'lack of action' in tackling the issue.

"They have the power to curb this. The time is right for the government to be more concerned with this and to be more proactive in tackling it. They have the facilities to curb pornography on the Internet and I hope they will seriously do so as it contributes to social ills," he said.

The distribution of physical pornographic material such as videos and magazines is deemed a crime in Malaysia and carries prison sentences.