Blogging: Freedom of Speech or Ethical publishing?

More and more of countries are now accessible to internet and blogging area. As the internet grows become a powerful and influential media, people use the internet devices to blogging, publish and rise out their opinion against the country issue, political comment, and spread information. Countless numbers of bloggers writing and dissenting views and even use to challenge the ruling party of the country. The government claims that the freedom of speech is the basis right of people in the country.

However, Article 10 of the Federal Constitution, while guaranteeing every citizen the right to freedom of speech and expression, but also allows the government to impose restrictions as it deems necessary to protect national security which has led to a litany of laws that severely curb freedom of expression (guardian.co.uk, 2001).The laws which invented use to protect the people unfortunately use as a tools by the government to silence critics and harass bloggers and threaten the bloggers working in the government’s favor so called “ethical publishing” that benefit to community.

To comply with ethical norms, bloggers are supposed to responsible in disseminating information that is honest and fair in publishing. However when law and regulations are step in, it will prevent the truth from being reveal as stated by Singer (2006). Government claims that there are no censorship of the internet and any form of control or filtering which violation of freedom of speech as enshrined in Article 10 of the Federal Constitution (Chandranayagam D. ,2009) but according to the Reuters(2008) , the authorities are looking for ways to rein in the commentary on the net.

Malaysia Today: Blog owned by Raja Petra Kamarudin

According to Ida Madieha Azmi (2010), Raja Petra was charged on 6 May 2008 with sedition for allegedly implying that the Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Sri Najib was involved in the murder case of a Mongolian woman.It was said to have affect public order and prejudice national security (M. Mageswari 2008). Tan Sri Dato Vincent Tan Chee Yioun said: “Freedom of speech is not a licence to defame people and it is subject to legal restrictions. Every person has a right to reputation and that right ought to be protected by law’’(Ida Madieha Azmi, 2010). Dato’ Seri Utama has many times reminded bloggers to be sensitive when commenting on issues to preserve the country’s peace and stability (MalaysiaAktif.com, 2010)

Therefore, even though Blogger have freedom in expression under Federal Constitution of Malaysia, they are subject to certain regulations. They should sensitive to what they are blogging; however, there is nothing unethical to express their opinions wihich are opposed to ruling party.

Reference List:

1. Chandranayagam D., 2009, “ Malaysia: A step closer to censorship”, August 6 2009, viewed June 11 2010. http://advocacy.globalvoicesonline.org/2009/08/06/malaysia-a-step-closer-to-internet-censorship/

2. Guardian.co.uk, 2010, “Ending the government’s monopoly on the truth”, viewed June 11 2010http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2001/apr/29/freespeech.observercampaignpressfreedom

3. Ida Madieha Azmi (2010), “Legal and ethical issues in knowledge management in Malaysia”, Computer Law & Security review

4. MalaysiaAktif.com(2010), “With Freedom Comes Responsibility” viewed June 11 2010,

http://malaysiaaktif.com/article.php?aid=4619

5. M.Mageswari (2008), “Court frees Raja petra (update 5)” 7 November 2008, viewed June 11 2010 http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/11/7/nation/20081107094618&sec=nation

6. Reuters (2008), “ Malaysia blogger in jail over sedition charges”, 6 May 2008, viewed June 11 2010,

http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKKLR29580020080506

7. Singer, J. (2006), "'Truth and Transparency: Bloggers' Challenge to Professional Autonomy in Defining and Enacting Two Journalistic Norms", Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Comm convention, presented to Media Ethics Division, London.