The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: Bloggers should exercise self-censorship over sensitive issues and not sensationalise issues just for the sake of gaining readers, Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Fu Ah Kiow said.

He said bloggers should be careful not to cause offence to any particular group or cause disharmony.

“Those who are irresponsible will have to face the consequences,” he said at the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia’s national flag-hoisting ceremony here yesterday.

He said the Government did not wish to restrict freedom on the Internet. “But this does not mean that there is no limit. Bloggers who are irresponsible will have to face the consequences.”

On the coming Merdeka celebrations, he urged Malaysians to show their patriotism by flying the Malaysian flag.

“The gesture of displaying the flags is a show of love for the country,” Fu said.

Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR: People with a chequered past or clear evidence of questionable morality should be prevented from taking office, the Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Dr Nazrin Shah, said last night.

He said this was integral to good governance, one of the three major themes of the works of the late Prof Datuk Dr Syed Hussein Alatas, a renowned sociologist and intellectual.

“Figures in authority must be chosen for their integrity first and qualifications second,” he said in his inaugural lecture to commemorate the legacy of Dr Syed Hussein entitled Towards a Decent Social Order for All Malaysians.

He said the battle against corruption had always been the top priority of Dr Syed Hussein who published four books on the topic as early as in 1968.

Raja Nazrin said corruption was mankind’s most deadly social disease as it could undermine good governance, weaken institutional foundations, distort public policies, compromise the rule of law and constrain the economy.

He said corruption curbed competitiveness to the detriment of economic and social developments, would lead to tremendous misallocation of resources and make cost of doing business to become unacceptably high.

“Corruption exists because of man’s enduring desire for personal gains. Once corruption becomes widespread, it will no longer seem immoral and unlawful, just business as usual,” he added.

He said there must be concrete anti-corruption measures and management practices based on efficiency, transparency and accountability.

He said the mobilisation of public opinion was also an integral part of good governance as Dr Syed Hussein placed great emphasis in the power of public outrage.

Raja Nazrin said Dr Syed Hussein believed that if society’s consciousness was awakened to the ills of corruption and gave its cases widespread publicity, it would generate such adverse reaction that the government would be forced to take action.

The lecture was the first of the Albukhary Foundation Lecture Series.

The Star

PETALING JAYA: From just blogging to active participation in politics, Jeff Ooi says he now wishes to be part of the legislative process of parliamentary democracy.He also wants to share his ideas and collectively contribute towards making Malaysia a greater country.

The DAP held a welcoming party for him here yesterday, attended by fellow bloggers and journalists who wanted to know why he was joining the party.

“I’ve stopped believing in the promises of the Government,” he said in a statement for his reason to join the DAP.

Reporters, however, were more inquisitive about his neutrality as a blogger, now that he had made a political stand.

“While I have chosen my political platform, I do not want people to misconstrue my intentions, which is why I have launched my political blog - parliament.jeffooi.com - to convey my thoughts and agenda. I cannot remain a fence-sitter if change is to happen,” he replied.

Asked why he left Gerakan, of which he had been a member since 2000, the 51-year-old blogger said he needed a new platform to effectively play his role and achieve his objectives.