It is easy to appreciate why Yaacob Ibrahim may harbour a personal grudge against the internet. After all, it was through WikiLeaks we learnt of his choice of a Puerto Rican for a life partner, a decision that must have caused discomfit to his parents and relatives. A Malay neighbour once lamented how his father's eyes would brighten up at the sight of his grandchildren, and yet pay scant acknowledgement of his Chinese wife. Some matters are just plain visceral.
Leading his own crusade in the social media, Ibrahim boasts, "there are people out there who want to make sure the Internet doesn't get killed by the downsides.. and they are prepared to be part of the process." Downsides as in how rumours can be spread like wildfire, such as a Green Card could be convenient route to evade NS obligations. Whilst maintaining that traditional media can "separate the wheat from the chaff," he revealed that, as of last December, government ministries and agencies have set up more than 140 Facebook initiatives, 60 YouTube channels, 60 Twitter accounts and 30 mobile applications.
Somewhere after warning that there are laws in place which can deal with those who cause harm, a Vietnamese journalist asked if the local media had gone overboard in publishing the names and faces of those charged with dealings with a teenage whore. She said the families of those accused would be affected, maybe even harmed. We are, after all, in a society where loan sharks periodically harass innocent family homes due to mistaken identities.
Showing his bias, the Minister said "you can't prevent the newspapers from reporting on it", and veered off his pontificating with "In terms of coverage, we leave it to the better judgment of the media providers." Well, how about leaving the truth coverage to the likes of Julian Assange and similar media providers? The Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do to you", the basis of many of the ethical systems on which societies have been built, is found in Islamic, Taoist, Sikh as well as other religious texts. Surely the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs knows that.
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Can we make use of the Lemon Law!!!!
ReplyDeleteWhy is he such a hypocrite when he should look no further than his own media provider like STOMP that started the shoot-name-n-shame practice.. so why blame it on the netizens once again when it's convenient. After all, his boss has already joined the wild west, and put on his cowboy boots, and attracted lots of lickers too.
ReplyDeleteBeware of spin from state media too...do unto others what you want others to do onto you!
ReplyDeleteAsking for awareness and caution only because the internet is the true 'no spin' zone. (O'Reilly can suck it!)
ReplyDeleteAfter years of mindlesss praise and obfuscating information, it must be hard to handle truths when they strike fast and heavy now, don't they?
Who exactly are the media doing the 'consensus building' with? He means is an consensus betwn journalist & politicians/businesses on what to spin, how to spin and spin it so well that is disguised as 'nation building'? All in sweet sugar-coated harmony. Apparently the citizens have no part in the consensus building phase..that's why ST is a freaking joke on the international scene..anyone worth his salt and weight knows is a big propaganda machine..and they charge you $2700+ per year for subscription on amazon...what a shame!!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.publichouse.sg/categories/politics/item/572-st-article-on-lup-misleading-says-chiam
ReplyDeleteThis is the kind of 'nation building' crap you find on MSM!!
They are totally shameless when it comes to spreading half-truths and falsehoods.
The MIWs continue to believe in what they read. MSM is just another layer of "Enablers' in addition to RCCs and grassroots that will cause the downfall of PAP...it can only get better..
How is it possible to regulate the internet without the buy in of the brotherhood? Is that idea even possible?
ReplyDeletei switched off my eyes and ears when i see his face. Do not want to waste time on him.
ReplyDeletenetizens can also sort a genius' from the chaff.
DeleteAnd they "separate the wheat from the chaff," so well that they are trumpeting, not in the internet but in traditional media, their 137 ranking by Reporters Without Borders? So much for reporting for nation-building and by consensus.
ReplyDeleteSaycheese
Indeed. Online media does not need regulation. Is mainstream media that needs de-regulation!
DeleteWe are already a nannying tyrant with all these CCTVs...do we really need more cloying oppression online? Does Mr Yacob not have a bigger fish to fry - say go after the real cybercrimers and cheats than to waste his time and energy on an open net that is by and large self-regulating just fine?
ReplyDeletewhy is he trying to fix something that is not broken?
Deleteyes, the yin is balancing the yang just fine.
Stay out Mr Yacob.
ReplyDeleteWe now look back at those times of misguided fear by our grandparents/parents with a sense of shame, knowing that in our effort to thwart “Big Brother” we became him. Look where we are without our civic rights for peaceful protest, without independent Unions, without freedom to speak with fear/favor in the last 50yrs under LKY/PAP rule. It give us false sense of security, forgetting the words “Those who sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither.”
Yet today, men ignorant of history are intent on repeating its folly, chastising the genius for poking at the insecurities of society in an effort to see the world remain in the purgatory of stagnation, forfeiting progress for pseudo security. Wake up, Singaporeans. Don't let that happen under 'your generation's' watch!
I have to say Yaacob's loyalty to his political masters (father and son) has yet to be fully tested. Because applying common sense, it is hard for any hypocrite to trust another hypocrite.
ReplyDeleteTo strenghten a pact between hypocrites, Yacoob should be seen frequently attending matches that involves our PRC imported tabletennis B team and with Yacoob applauding freely...
With this kind of support, the father and son can give a boost to football by giving the go ahead to import the best from PRC, maybe a goalie, defenders, strikers, etc to play alongside sporean natives...and of course, Yaacob supporting with gusto.
He did not answer the Vietnamese question directly. Instead he said its up to the media to decide. For many, this fiasco must have endorcement from the power behind. ST will think twice for publishing such well-known names like Shaw, the Principle and high ranking law enforcement officers. So what is he trying to hide?
ReplyDeleteSo on one hand, PM Lee shows some progress on FB/Twitter, OTOH Mr Ibrahim shows some digression. He should be patted on his back - with a shovel.
ReplyDeleteDid he say "major media companies can set a tone?"
ReplyDeleteClearly, someone ought to tell Mr Dinosaur the historic rules of regulation do not apply online.
In broadcast world, regulation was used to create framework for licensees. In return for abiding by the rules, which included signing up to a code of conduct and agreeing terms of trade (e.g. what type of service you are, or specific obligations such as the amount of local news you produce), then license holders got access to a precious commodity: spectrum, and with it the right to broadcast direct to people in their homes. This two way contract has been a key tool in making broadcast regulation work, but it is not a framework which logically transfers to the online space.
Sadly some traditional media outlets and local politicians would still love to shut out any competition and diversity of voices they can’t influence by traditional ways.
How can Yaacob defend Patrick Daniel's of SPH here. Those charged are innocent until proven guilty. What he has done is to sub-judice these 48 men as guilty unless proven innocent. And if they are guilty, is fair game. So to release their photos and splash them all over main press is irresponsible. There is a chance some of them may not be charged. The same excuse they cite the delay of breaking the news of the two SCDF/CNB guys when they were 'investigated', and are still being 'investigated'...so why aren't there more details?
ReplyDeleteI just wonder whether our PAP Ministers ever go and find prostitutes, underaged or otherwise.
ReplyDeleteAfterall, I'm sure they have the same sexual desires as any one of those caught.
of course they do lah..just that they were covered up and not-reported. Why else do you think LHL is trying to re-sent a message with the 48men? He's trying to say -- don't think this can't happen to you...just don't get caught. And why YSL was called out first...because he knows this sex scandal is coming up. That's why he so busy on his agenda to slot in HG election. But is ok, if he doesn't want to dig into his team, 2016, more will be digged out for him.
DeleteLook like more bad news hidden from the public for political reason by the govt. Are the govt waiting for another major "crisis" from opp party before reporting their own bad news thinking that it will lessen the impact ?
ReplyDelete"you can't prevent the newspapers from reporting on it"
ReplyDeleteoops other than ST
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/29/useircom-idUSBRE82S14R20120329