In the last few years, the impact of social media has become particularly profound. Likewise in Malaysia, there is an increasing trend of bloggers to post sensitive issues that are not controlled by the government.
Despite the strict control of mainstream media by Malaysia Government, the former Prime Minister Mahatir promised not to censor the freedom of the internet.
In Malaysian 2008 election, despite an explicit ban on online political commentary, bloggers continued to post about the election. Bloggers posted photos and videos that mainstream media ignored. Because of the loop-sided reporting from the mainstream media during election, there was a lot of anger and distrust of the media.
Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi was elected in 2004. Under his reign, he failed to eradicate corruption or crime. Both these ills remain rampant under his administration. Critics say he has failed to live up to the heightened expectations and the calls for reform have re-surfaced. Abdullah has also been seen as weak on freedom of religion issues, disappointing those who once saw him as a “moderate” leader. As a result, many Malaysians rebel the government and seek political reinvention.
Abdullah has always been frequently criticized by Malaysian bloggers and foreign media for silencing his critics. He has vowed to crack down on pro-democracy protesters and gave his support to the police to break up protests and arrest participants. It was followed by a series of media blackouts regarding several peaceful pro-democracy rally events such as the 2007 Bersih Rally held on November 10, 2007 Local media controlled by the Malaysian government did not broadcast the event although it was featured in foreign media such as Al Jazeera, Reuters, BBC, and CNN.
According to the sources, he even attempted to control underground resources such as Web pages, forums and blogs, assuming those who criticise him via these media as “the people without credibility. Meanwhile, opposition party, Anwar Ibrahim, is trying to draw the disparate opposition parties together into a more cohesive force. He favours a growth-oriented market economy balanced by ”humane considerations and distributive justice”.
Although the opposition’s economic platform has not been widely publicised, there is now growing confidence among opposition parties of a significantly improved performance in the coming general election — despite complaints of gerrymandering of constituencies, vote-buying and abuse of the media and government agencies for campaign purposes. The proliferation of independent websites and blogs such as Malaysia Today and Malaysiakini means the ruling coalition’s propaganda machinery now faces agile and resourceful opponents in cyberspace. Controversial or embarrassing incident that once could be swept under the carpet are now being posted on YouTube, blogs and websites. ‘Nowadays, it is difficult not only to lie but also to conceal effectively,’’ For instance, the senior cabinet minister who heads the ethnic Indian party in the ruling coalition was jeered when he officiated at a regional dance competition here. It would have passed unnoticed if a video-clip of that incident had not been quickly posted on YouTube. However, the video has been removed.So the monopoly on truth has been cracked by bloggers and others. A lot more people have become more discerning especially after recent demonstrations revealed the stark contrast between the mainstream media’s coverage and the bloggers
