Blogging & Freedom of Speech

Blogging usually have no restrictions of its content but countries like Malaysia, we have limited freedom of speech even in blogs. According to David Sasaki ""Blogging, podcasting, and citizen media has not reached that tipping point in Malaysia because there aren’t enough people jumping off the rock. We need a concerted effort and a lot of people who are motivated to apply for some of these grants - who are willing to take the risk." Malaysiakini added that "If there are enough people to do it, then there’s not going to be any arrests because you have that critical mass." The question is, is there a big number of us who is willing to take the risk?

Raja Petra Raja Kamarudin (Malaysian blogger), known for his anti-government views, was sentenced to jail for two years due to publishing various claims about the bad stuff done by the government leaders on his site, Malaysia Today which also serves as his blog as well as a news portal.



In the Article 10 of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia states that;

(1) Subject to Clauses (2)
(a) every citizen has the right to freedom of speech and expression;

(2) Parliament may by law impose -
(a) on the rights conferred by paragraph (a) of Clause (1), such restrictions as it deems necessary or expedient in the interest of the security of the Federation or any part thereof, friendly relations with other countries, public order or morality and restrictions designed to protect the privileges of Parliament or of any Legislative Assembly or to provide against contempt of court, defamation, or incitement to any offence;

In the Article 10(1), it state that every citizen guarantees the freedom of speech but that is not impose in Malaysia where Article 10(2) states the Parliament is allow to take action if it is considered danger to the country.

In the book, chapter of Culture as ideology, Billig (1988) & van Dijk (1998) said that "The term ideology is understood here as the social (general and abstract) representations shared by members of a group and used by them to accomplish everyday social practices; acting and communicating. Therefore, the social group who agrees with Raja Petra comes from the same background and understanding while other groups remain neutral or unknown. Bloggers like Raja Petra express the truth and gather its community through blogging because according to Billig (1988), the objectives of self or other representations and express opinions that represent and satisfy their preferred view of reality.

When public are not allowed to express the truth through media, they tend to move into the World Wide Web where freedom of speech is not restricted. However, every country have its own laws and rules which they might be detained (eg under ISA) once they are track and the government consider their work or acts that might harm the national security.

References

Chris Barker & Dariusz Galasiński, Culture as ideology, Culture studies and discourse analysis, pp. 65 -67

Fauwaz Abdul Aziz, Bloggers: Between Fear and the Tipping Point, Viewed 2nd June 2009, http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/73248

Lagallybawlg, Freedom of speech: How qualified is it in Malaysia?, Viewed 2nd June 2009, http://blawg.joshua3.com/?p=5

SK, Blogging in Malaysia: Fear Factor Vs Tipping Point, Viewed 2nd June 2009, http://www.skthew.com/2007/10/08/blogging-in-malaysia-fear-factor-vs-tipping-point/

Victor, Malaysian Blogger: Sentence for two years jail, Viewed 2nd June 2009, http://committeetoprotectbloggers.org/2008/09/22/malaysian-blogger-sentenced-to-two-