Thursday, 28 April 2011
Government business
Wednesday, 27 April 2011
The Internet as Propaganda tool
The revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt were helped by the information produced on the internet. Bloggers wrote about the abysmal conditions in the two countries. People took to the streets and confronted the government calling it to account for itself. In the end, the two authoritarian regimes- or the governments that have been dishing out the 'smack of a firm government' in the 2 countries fell.
What happened in the 2 countries before the revolutions? As in many authoritarian regimes they have a long and successful history of control over information and communication technologies. The conventional media means- newspapers, TV and radio represent the old school means of information control and behavior forming means. Investigative reportage was selective.
Nowadays, governments all over have to contend with a more contemporary means of information and communication- the internet.
Future wars will be fought over the minds of people in cyberspace. I am saying, despite the promises of the government, there will be continued attempts at corralling netizens. I don't think those who post their opinions and thinking on the net fear government challenge if they come in the form of reasoned arguments. What they fear is when the government finds itself inadequate to deal with the 'bloggers on the other side', they resort to coercive measures.
In what form do challenges to the state emerge from Internet? They come from several areas: the mass public, civil society, the economy, and the international community. Realizing this, governments respond to these challenges with a variety of reactive measures. These included restricting Internet access, filtering content, monitoring online behavior, or even prohibiting Internet use entirely.
In addition, some governments seek to extend central control through proactive strategies, guiding the development of the medium to promote their own interests and priorities. The recent respectable sounding meeting of Asean bloggers may be likened to a proactive measure by the Malaysian government. Further respectability is secured by the attendance of a much loved former PM who is regarded as responsible for bringing Malaysia into the internet age and the current PM. The current PM promised freedom of the internet.
Can a matter-of- factly spoken comment such as I do not fear the internet be an admission of openness? Well, the way to hell is often paved with good intentions. It would be foolhardy for any government to not try to control the internet. Even a disarming reverse psychological olive-branched approach is already a means to control. It is sufficient to rally some groups to a cause.
Why would any government want to control internet usage? They want and do because competing thoughts can challenge their longevity. If they can't do it the hard way such as direct banning and restriction (which they can't anyway), they will do it the soft way. I must admit, there is nothing wrong with such an approach. Netizens according themselves the freedom of speech and writing on the internet must also accord the same privilege to the government. They do what they must to defend their positions. Netizens do what they must to offer either support or rejection of official policies.
How does usage of the internet affect how governments conduct their business? In order to know of the impact, we need to ask the following questions. Who is using the Internet, and for what purposes? What challenges to the state are likely to arise from this use, and how will the state respond? And finally, is the state proactively guiding the development of the Internet so that the medium serves state interests? In a study undertaken by some scholars, the following should be instructive.
Mass public. Taking an example of what took place in Eastern Europe, public access to ICTs may facilitate a "demonstration effect," whereby exposure to outside ideas or images of transitions in other countries spurs a revolution of rising expectations and the eventual overthrow of the authoritarian regime. Alternatively, use of e–mail, Internet chat rooms, bulletin boards, and the World Wide Web may contribute to "ideational pluralism" and a more gradual liberalization of the public sphere in authoritarian countries.
Civil society organizations. Civil society organizations (CSOs) may use the Internet to support their activities in a variety of ways, including logistical organization and the public dissemination of information. In many cases CSOs play a crucial role in undermining authoritarian regimes, either by pressing for an initial political opening or by triggering scandals that delegitimize authoritarian rule. Likewise, CSOs may rise up to overwhelm a controlled process of top–down liberalization after an initial opening has been permitted.
Economy. Internet use in the economic sphere may pose multiple challenges to authoritarian rule. The Internet may present significant opportunities for entrepreneurship in a developing economy, possibly leading to the emergence of new domestic business elite. In addition, if the Internet contributes to economic growth, more generally it may facilitate the growth of a middle class. Both of these forces may place increasing demands on the regime that that challenge its control of society .
International community. The coercive efforts of foreign governments and multilateral institutions, through such measures as the imposition of sanctions and extension of conditional loans and aid, are frequently an influential factor in democratization. Transnational advocacy networks of CSOs, social movements, the media, and other actors outside of the target country often play a key role in mounting campaigns for such decisive action, and use of the Internet is often crucial to the success of their activities.
States also seek to exert control over the Internet in another fashion; they do so proactively by guiding Internet development and usage to promote their own interests and priorities. proactive strategies attempt to develop an Internet that is free from such challenges while also consolidating or extending state authority. These strategies may involve efforts to distribute propaganda on the Internet, both domestically and internationally; build state–controlled national Intranets that serve as a substitute for the global Internet; implement e–government services that increase citizen satisfaction with the government; and, even strengthen state power on an international scale by engaging in information warfare, such as hacking into Web sites and spreading viruses.
Perhaps the hooray for our side boys may want to look at One Malaysia E mail from another perspective?
Monday, 25 April 2011
Is Tricubes a Trojan Horse?
Users will initially be able to use this account to receive government notices such as income tax assessment, driving license renewal and quit rent reminders as well as Employee Provident Fund statements and notices of summons. This is not an exhaustive list of services and more can potentially be offered to users in the future.
The above is an answer given by the CEO of Tricubes, Khairun Mokhtar. Tricubes has been appointed by the Malaysian government as the e mail domain host. Hence instead of say xx@yahoo or xx@gmail, you will have xx@myemail.com. Something like that.
The former two e mails, you get them for free. With myemail , you will pay through the government. Tricubes gets a concession to be the email host for some amount. The CEO says, the government will pay 50 sen per e mail. The government says, this is a private sector initiative. It doesn't pay anything.
One of these people is lying. Since its impossible for the PM to do so, then Khairun Mokhtar is the liar. But then the CEO of an ETP approved company can't be a liar.
Let's just say, Tricubes is the project delivery partner to the government. It's easier that way rather than getting embroiled in semantics.
What does it deliver? It delivers a possible means where the government can control a communication tool, reaching the subscriber directly and discreetly.
Others have said abundantly about Tricubes getting this concession. It says it was selected by an ETP selection team and possibly because the ETP people think, Tricubes has all the qualifications, it has been selected.
People have disputed the selection criteria. TRicubes is a loss making company, the result caused by the nature of the investments it undertakes- so it says. It's dependent on getting government projects such as exclusive licenses for a number of years.
So, if people are interested to read about the technicalities of the TRicubes issue such as financial and technical capabilities and so forth, I am sure there is a vast volume of literature on this.
As for me, I am more intrigued at the prospects of the government big-brothering us, through assessing our e mails. Although Tricubes says it will have security features and encryption features and what not, what if Tricubes acts in concert with government departments by sending unsolicited 'information' over the net, surreptitiously to the e mail addressee? You get for free other than information about summonses, income tax, quit rent reminders etc.?
Sometime in April , 2010, an important person in the CPC, Wang Chen, outlined China's vision on internet usage. Wang Chen is regarded as the highest government official responsible for managing online information in China. He is also the Party's top official in charge of external propaganda work.
Wang delivered a speech laying out what seemed to be the official strategic vision for the "scientific, healthy, and orderly development of the Internet". The speech contains what amounts to an official battle plan, complete with outlines of the risks, campaign objectives, command structure, and legislative reform agenda, for how to bring the Internet under control while accelerating its development.
Wang's report also stresses the value of the Internet as a crucial propaganda tool for guiding correct public opinion, "unifying thinking," and countering "the hegemony of Western media." As long as our country's Internet is linked to the global Internet, there will be channels and means for all sorts of harmful foreign information to appear on our domestic Internet. As long as our Internet is open to the public, there will be channels and means for netizens to express all sorts of speech on the Internet.
In other words, the Chinese authorities view the most intrinsic values and role of the Internet—as a vehicle for the unprecedented spread of information and knowledge across national boundaries and a mechanism that can bring people together and promote diversity and openness—as dangers to be strategically tackled and managed.
A former PM of Malaysia who is credited to have ICTied Malaysia has said, the government will never censor the internet. The current PM repeats the same promise. But the government is wary of the potential of the internet being used as the communications tool for netizens and eventually the people, inducing them to act in some ways detrimental to the government. Despite these promises then, we cannot discount the government big-brothering us is some creative internet-compliant ways.
And so, here in Malaysia, we are debating how come a little known company has been appointed and awarded the Goebbelsment's contract to provide an e mail address for Malaysian citizens.
Already, the government has started on the wrong foot. Whether a person chooses to use an e mail as a communication tool, it is a private voluntary decision. The government has no right to authorize others to get his/her name as an e mail addressee even if it is government who pays for the service. Everyone can get an e mail address for free. So why should the government use taxpayer's money to have a company provide an e mail address?
The only way Tricubes can get the names of people is for them to get people's name through the registration department or some other government departments which are custodian of records. On whose authority will Tricubes get these names? They will get them without OUR approval.
The purpose is nothing else but a disguised attempt by the government to dominate the cyberspace. Its future depends on control of cyberspace. Just like in China, it is widely believed that the Internet poses an insurmountable threat to a government's rule.
But it is not insurmountable after all. Tricubes can help for example.
All over the world, governments are finding ways to control and counter the political impact of Internet use. And they have found some disingenuous ways to do that. Such as using a Trojan Horse.
Tricubes can be the gift the Greeks left behind.
Sunday, 24 April 2011
Memahami RPK
- The whole objective of this exercise was to block Najib Tun Razak from taking over as Prime Minister. If Abdullah Ahmad Badawi can be forced to resign, and if Najib can be blocked from taking over, then Tengku Razaleigh could become the next prime minister.
- Earlier, a meeting was held in Tengku Razaleigh's office. About 30 people attended the meeting cum buka puasa. A few Umno bloggers such as Big Dog and so on were there. PKR people like Adlan Benan Omar and Rafizi Ramli also came. And many others whom you will know if I mention their names also attended (I will leave it to them whether they want to surface, but they know who I am talking about).
- The purpose of this meeting was to explore how it can be engineered so that Tengku Razaleigh can take over as prime minister. Bul, of course, was the 'main speaker' with all the ideas on how this can be achieved.
- Today, Bul declares that he is a strong Najib supporter and that he has always supported Najib from way back. Suddenly he is no longer the man who was scheming on how to block Najib from taking over so that his boss, Tengku Razaleigh, can be the new prime minister.
- Bul, who promised me that he will make sure I will never go to jail and that the military intelligence report would surface the instant the police come for me, today, tells me that the report no longer exists.
- The question is, did the report even exist in the first place? And Din Merican, who spoke to Anwar and who assured me that Lt Kol Azmi is very reliable and John Pang, who spoke to Tengku Razaleigh on the same matter and gave that same assurance, have washed their hands of this whole matter.
- I can understand Din leaving PKR to go back to the other side. He did tell everyone he is disillusioned with the party and he is not the first or the last. John Pang, however, is now with CIMB Jakarta and we all know who owns CIMB. Suddenly, everyone who was part of the conspiracy to block Najib from taking over is a strong Najib supporter from way back in time.
Saturday, 23 April 2011
Measuring RPK
Thursday, 21 April 2011
Taib Mahmud, UMNO , Tengku Razaleigh dan isiu2 lain.
Tuesday, 19 April 2011
A failed palace coup d’état?
no | DUN | 2011 | 2006 | 17 | LAYAR | 1916 | 2677 |
1 | TG DATU | 2316 | 4136 | 18 | BUKIT SABAN | 2774 | 1828 |
2 | PANTAI DAMAI | 5071 | 2164 | 19 | KELAKA | 5170 | 5929 |
3 | DEMAK LAUT | 3752 | 0 | 20 | BELAWAI | 4546 | 0 |
4 | TUPONG | 4551 | 2164 | 21 | SEMOP | 4250 | 0 |
5 | SAMARIANG | 5431 | 2488 | 22 | DARO | 3197 | 0 |
6 | SATOK | 2800 | 2798 | 23 | JEMORENG | 2926 | 1710 |
7 | ASAJAYA | 4489 | 5063 | 24 | MACHAN | 1629 | 2289 |
8 | MUARA TUANG | 7843 | 6327 | 25 | NANGKA | 5302 | 0 |
9 | TARAT | 1995 | 3256 | 26 | DALAT | 4990 | 0 |
10 | TEBEDU | 4066 | 4256 | 27 | BALINGIAN | 5154 | 5726 |
11 | KEDUP | 2265 | 0 | 28 | KATIBAS | 2256 | 3332 |
12 | SADONG JAYA | 2934 | 0 | 29 | JEPAK | 3128 | 3179 |
13 | SIMUNJAN | 4048 | 3350 | 30 | KEMENA | 3349 | 1572 |
14 | SEBUYAU | 2276 | 2448 | 31 | LAMBIR | 1521 | 0 |
15 | LINGGA | 2506 | 1870 | 32 | MARUDI | 3202 | 4284 |
16 | BETING MARO | 391 | 0 | 33 | TELANG USAN | 845 | 0 |
34 | BUKIT KOTA | 5061 | 3229 | ||||
35 | BUKIT SARI | 5063 | 5275 | ||||
TOTAL | 125024 | 74852 | |||||
Monday, 18 April 2011
Walla on the future of Chinese politics post Sarawak
A: 'Like a cruise missile, our blogger has quickly homed in on the key impact of the Sarawak state elections, Sir. Any comment?'
B: 'Your lovely eyes mesmerize my lonely heart, Sofea.'
A: '(eyes roll, lips twist). Sir, your attempt at distraction is lost on me, well, today anyway. Please stay focused on this grave matter.'
B: '(sighs, but with a twinkle) Ok, Sofea, i think the impact is more than just about the Chinese voice in BN politics. I think it's about the irrelevance of BN politics itself.
We all knew one day it would come to this. Our Chinese brethren would vote for what they see as needed to arrest the slide of the country. Global relevance, administrative integrity, execution efficiency and principle-based fairness have all slid precipitously.
Despite knowing that an Umno-run BN will take it out on them for their resisting stand, they have been as consistent today as they were in 2008. You can't deny they have shown sterling maturity as thinking and principled citizens even as we know they should have been given more in terms of policy support because what they have been asking are congruent with national interests in the long run.
From their disgust and dismay at the way this country has been run into the ground, they have stood their own ground and are braving themselves to face a future without BN by defending universal principles of good government out of clean and pragmatic politics. You tell me which right-minded government cannot appreciate and should not support this.
Now let me ask you back - how different is their political situation from that of the majority of their Malay brethren in Umno who have been marginalized by the political machinations of its own ultras and elites?'
A: 'Is that why you're saying our BN politics is irrelevant, Sir?'
B: 'BN politics is race-based politics. It is party by race leading to horse trading. This cannot work anymore because the more the ultras react to the Chinese stand in this country, the greater will be racial polarization fueled by politics.
When that happens, our Malays will carve for themselves more political power and this they think they can still do because they still think they hold all the cards of government. They will then marginalize parties like MCA and MIC whose voters will swing to DAP and others.
Remember what Nazri and company had said about the MCA? Remember how Taib had told off Chan in a SUPP dinner?
But it is a big mistake. Because it will cause reaction by our non-Malays to avoid having anything to do with BN.
The final result is the country will be split first politically, then socially, and finally economically. Lacuna and diaspora will be created in every nook and cranny and at every level. And investors with capital, technology, markets and employment will look at our country and say we're only good for short-term. With that, all investment and development plans will be thrown out of orbit. And the only high incomers of our Malay community in the end will be Umno ultras who will be parking their ill-gotten gains in offshore accounts after getting the cabinet to go down on its knees before the saudi's.'
A: 'So you're saying the Awang Selamats of Umno are being short-sighted when they clamor for more Malay-ism in BN politics? More political power to counteract the resurgence of our Chinese and other non-Malays in national politics?'
B: 'Exactly. They should think one more step and ask themselves the simplest of questions and then answer it publicly. And the question is this:
How can a government be the private sector?
Frankly if you look at the way Umno has been running its GLCs, it's a total freaking failure opening up to rampant abuse and bleeding the national coffers.
So how can race-based politics work? It will polarize politics and economics but how to carry on after that stage?
I hate to say this but the trouble with our Malays in political power is that they are extremely short-sighted.'
A: 'Sir, perhaps their short-sightedness is only for the masses. Their own sight is long, deep and glittering with the sheen of gold.'
B: 'Since robbers won't arrest themselves, the stand of our Chinese citizens looks even more relevant and pragmatic by the day. In fact the indirect result of their stand is to support the needs of the moderate masses of our Malays by making sure our country remains relevant to the world.
A: 'I am sure our PM knows all this and he is trying his level best to transform things.'
B: 'You really think so? Then explain to me why he persisted in punishing the folks of Sibu for rebuffing his horse trading offer. Not only flood mitigation but also the airport, i understand.
How can the PM of a country try to bribe rakyat using their money and then when they rebuff the offer, punish them by ignoring their plight and development? Bribe followed by blackmail is double jeopardy, you know.
That single exposure tells us all the actual character of someone raised with a silver spoon, trained overseas and who has rubbed shoulders with world luminaries.
He took it personally. He labeled those who were not for him as against him. Why, is he a fan of Bush?'
A: 'Sir, maybe he is just sacrificing them for the benefit of his Umno carrot-and-stick tactic to try and draw more support from voters so as to realize a bigger and grander vision for Malaysia.'
B: 'Amboi, my dear, open your eyes. You see all those youtube and twitter pics on the Sarawak elections? See the poor folks queuing up, potholed roads, the drab surroundings, the tin-sheds and furniture of the fifties in the polling stations? Except for a handful of places in Peninsular, is our Malaysia that developed and important after half a century of BN rule that we are even qualified to talk about grand visions as sly justification to push and bully our citizens around by using their money to press-gang them into voting for a regime that is not only corrupt but also a syndicated divisive political mafioso in all but name?
Next time he and his cohorts should just take the easy way out. Why not just say if you don't vote for BN, i will red-tar your house doors?
Sofea, what's the difference between Umno's vote-currying tactics and the arm-twisting's of the a-longs?'
A: 'Sir! You're too angry!'
B: 'Sofea, maybe it's because i am old and my eyesight is bad so that this doesn't look good:
http://is.gd/jAyX4c
Like an old diehard, i tried to frame a doubt in my mind. But the puteri's shown didn't look as though they were show-acting. They looked exactly like the bored and race-minded officials you would see at the desks of some of our local uni's boothing at the job-fairs in the city. What kind of a customer service and culture is that? What kind of supervision was behind it? What kind of future will we have from the impressions that all would have collected by now of what Umno produces? Do you read me, Sofea?'
A: 'Sir, i read you loud and clear. But if you were in his shoes what would you do?'
B: 'I would do all the right things, Sofea. Even if it finishes me and Umno Baru off. Then maybe Umno Version 3.0 can be published.
If we really care for our country, we must really care for our country without preconditions for our own selves. After all what can we carry to our graves?
We lift our hands in supplication when we pray but what will people say of a country where the question of who ordered the hit has yet to be answered. For that matter how the wife of the one in the vortex of that hundred million euro commission can possibly know about submarines when she was just a magistrate before.
Sofea, there are still so many pressing questions given the round-about in the rakyats' minds! Why can't the present government answer them clearly and with finality?'
A: 'I sense your doubts, Sir. And i agree it's not because of the Chinese or other non-Malay element in today's political equation. It's all about doing the right thing. When we look into the eyes of any Malaysian, it's all about righteousness.'
B: 'Umno Baru just won't do, Sofea. It hasn't changed. It is pretentious about discarding its arrogance. It is just prancing on the tightrope of race but there's no safety net below in the circus. And the rakyat have had enough all the charade and shenanigans. The game's up, the show's over. The rakyat know.'
A: 'I feel the same too, Sir. Just look at the PPSMI saga. Now they say they want to do a study. One would have thought that would have been the first thing they would have done. Who's the fcuked up minister involved?'
B: '(eyes popped out). Sofea! Please, i am trying to mend my old and testy ways!'
A: 'hehe. Sorry, Sir. I just get riled by everything that's not going right, that's just spin, that's just angling to win votes by all means and at all costs.
On which score, do you think BN should launch the GE soon?'
B: 'Let me answer that indirectly. Umno Baru will ignore what we have said in much the same way Placido Domingo had first ignored the reversion issue. And then find out the full cost of its arrogance.
And we all know how electoral delineation is loaded for the incumbents. Just look at some of the constituencies. Their results were known earlier because those places had so few voters. But a seat is still a seat in the state assembly so that many small constituencies mean many more seats. No wonder they can talk about two-thirds majority, what with the cash and kind.
I think we should change the government. Maybe then the dayaks of Sarawak can get free potable water.'
A: 'But there are still some who have lingering doubts about the Opposition, Sir.'
B: 'They should ask themselves whether it's because they have been indoctrinated to express gratitude for their morsels to the incumbents while the big rip-offs are taking place in the quiet elsewhere. Remember Toyo's mansion and how it had come about? Taib's sidekick's mansion under construction is even bigger.
And they should ask themselves what the faith has taught them about human beings, about the insignificance of the notion of race, about the need to make principle-based progress and be fair to all.'
A: 'I sense it will be the dirtiest general elections ever in the history of our nation, Sir.'
B: 'Let's not waste time on the obvious, Sofea. I have no confidence in our institutions which are supposed to protect independence and integrity. I can't tell you more but you can guess as much. There's no smoke without fire.'
A: 'Is there a future for our country, Sir?'
B: 'Our Malays will have to answer that. The ball is in their garden. That question is at their doorstep. The others have moved on to do their own things. Our Malays should ask ourselves why the others have taken step to ignore BN. And, honest answer, please. The reckoning for all the excesses and stupidities of Umno all these painful years will come soon enough.'
The Chinese voice in BN politics
- First, Chinese leaders in MCA and SUPP will ask the PM, as leader of BN to allow them more leeway to become MORE Chinese. Meaning, they want to behave like how UMNO behaves – as the unmitigated voice of Chinese interests. The more strident and belligerent the better as a means to regain the Chineseness of their political pronouncements.
- Second, as anyone can assume, given the accommodative personality of the PM, he will be seen to giving in to more Chinese demands.