WELCOMING THE GOVERNMENT’S DRIVE TO ENGAGE BLOGGERS

Najib quote & unquote: “We need to have people who are active participants of the new media, who are sympathetic and understanding of the government’s position. The best thing to do is to engage them. Hopefully they will understand our perspective,” he added.

Reading between the lines of Najib’s words, I have the following comments

1. Whatever “Freedom of the Press” advocated for the MSM by the Prince of Darkness, as expected, has not changed the people’s perspective on the type of news and views presented by the Government. The people will continue seeking whatever else seem interesting in the alternative media which perhaps will give them much comfort and palatable to their sentiments. The proposed reform thus presented by the Prince of Darkness on press freedom has fallen short of its propaganda effects and may have instead backfired.

2. “Sympathetic and Understanding of the Government’s position:” is an understatement. Bloggers may misinterpret such statements as unattainable. While some bloggers may at times sympathize, understand or even appreciate some of the Governments actions, merely endorsing without criticism may be detrimental to the interest of the nation as well as their believes. For example, the exhumation of the 20 year old Tun Salleh Abas case and the Royal Commission in respect the Lingam Video Tapes are continually being perceived by many as personal and unjustified attacks against TDM under the guise of populist judiciary reforms. In such pursuit, it’s a fallacy that our legal system could be recognized as the epitome in the world. The Government has been considered wholesomely sickly in undertaking such false actions and wasting the people’s resources and trust, detrimental to our Rule of Law. How can the bloggers and the people be sympathetic and understandable of the Government’s acts of high handedness when the Executive is perceived playing “dirty” politics rather than working in the immediate and long term interest of the people?

3. The need to engage bloggers is an indirect admission that the Government is continuously loosing its support base but wishes to push the blame on bloggers. It’s just like the same leadership denying itself as the principal SOURCE for the blundering losses of the GE12. Until and unless the Government stops playing poodle with the 1^st Family, the perception of the poor state of governance emanating with such unbearable stench from the country’s 1^st Family will continue unabatedly and whatever reforms introduced to improve the state of governance will come to naught.

4. However I would agree with the DPM for challenging and defending himself against the allegations against him and now his wife in the blogs. He has to redeem and seek justice for himself and his wife irrespective whether he does or does not play a greater role in future. It is his basic right though I must admit that the further he isolates and stands away from the 1^st Family, the negative perception against him would be reduced as many would be more sympathetic and appreciative.

In respect of brother Rocky’s comments

1. Number and type of bloggers – The data presented may no longer be relevant because the composition and the perspectives of the various blogs should have significantly changed after the results of 8 March because of the influx on blogging arising from unprecedented attention and concern over the political uncertainties and the sensitivities emerging.

2. “Umno/pro-Umno bloggers are too critical of the party's leadership. Many are actually anti-Badawi and his policies, promises, and practices” Combined with Najib’s concerns as mentioned earlier, the statement suggest that most UMNO bloggers are against the Government’s initiations under PM. It could further suggests that support for the country’s leadership continues to falter and that such support from the main political party, UMNO (and its grassroots) is indeed most uncertain albeit diminishing to the brink of extinction or irrelevance.

3. UMNO bloggers are not actually anti-government but are expressing emphatically that PM’s policies, promises and practices are inconsistent with the best interest of UMNO and BN. Indeed PM’s wobbly establishment is so heavily infested on self interest, money politics and deceit that any action emanating from that household would be viewed negatively. PM is so weak that he reacts and is being lead rather than taking the lead and even when he tries to take lead, the standing perception is that he will consistently refer to the person on his left for directions.

Against such backdrop, no wonder the pro-Government bloggers are small. In the meantime, the bloggers welcomes the Government’s engagement drive.

END