Should Malaysiakini be penalised?
From Malaysiakini,
It appears that malaysiakini's sense of humour is not shared by the Government. An article on April 1 which was meant to be an April Fool's joke has certainly ruffled many feathers. The article purportedly said that several ministers have been convicted of corruption. The Government deems corruption a sensitive issue and it should not have been a topic to joke upon. The question here is, should malaysiakini be penalised for an article that is clearly meant to be an April Fool's prank.
Perhaps, malaysiakini has chosen a poor topic to play a prank on. As some people would say, some things said in jest are true. Perhaps it is this possible misconception among the public that the Government feels it necessary to take action in order to prevent such events from recurring. Or did malaysiakini actually hit the nail on its head?
So does the Government actually have any humour in them? I think the better move here is to laugh it off. Threatening action may make malaysiakini a martyr to many, thus expanding its readership base and consolidating its stake in mainstream media. It has already been clearly stated that the article was an April Fool's joke and should be viewed as such.
I think many are envious of malaysiakini's successes especially in the international arena. It is one of the few sources of information that is beyond our government's control. Thus any weaknesses will be exploited to its fullest. Malaysiakini certainly misjudged and exposed themselves with this April Fool's prank. On the other hand, the Government should display its softer side when dealing with such events by ignoring it. Penalising malaysiakini may invite more unwanted international attention and put into question the rights of freedom of speech in Malaysia.
| April Fool’s prank: Action will be taken, says Nazri Pauline Puah Apr 12, 05 3:55pm The government will be taking action against malaysiakini for its April Fool’s prank because “they tell lies”, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Nazri Aziz told Parliament today. cont... |
It appears that malaysiakini's sense of humour is not shared by the Government. An article on April 1 which was meant to be an April Fool's joke has certainly ruffled many feathers. The article purportedly said that several ministers have been convicted of corruption. The Government deems corruption a sensitive issue and it should not have been a topic to joke upon. The question here is, should malaysiakini be penalised for an article that is clearly meant to be an April Fool's prank.
Perhaps, malaysiakini has chosen a poor topic to play a prank on. As some people would say, some things said in jest are true. Perhaps it is this possible misconception among the public that the Government feels it necessary to take action in order to prevent such events from recurring. Or did malaysiakini actually hit the nail on its head?
So does the Government actually have any humour in them? I think the better move here is to laugh it off. Threatening action may make malaysiakini a martyr to many, thus expanding its readership base and consolidating its stake in mainstream media. It has already been clearly stated that the article was an April Fool's joke and should be viewed as such.
I think many are envious of malaysiakini's successes especially in the international arena. It is one of the few sources of information that is beyond our government's control. Thus any weaknesses will be exploited to its fullest. Malaysiakini certainly misjudged and exposed themselves with this April Fool's prank. On the other hand, the Government should display its softer side when dealing with such events by ignoring it. Penalising malaysiakini may invite more unwanted international attention and put into question the rights of freedom of speech in Malaysia.
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