Malaysia Today’s blogs are closed

Malaysia Today has unfortunately been forced to close the blogs in the various columns and some other sections due to blatant abuse of privileges by certain bloggers. We sincerely regret that we have had to resort to this.

When Malaysia Today was first launched on 13 August 2004 it was merely as an alternative news website. A couple of months later, we decided to include a blogging feature to allow readers to offer feedback and comments to the various news items and articles. It was hoped this would enable Malaysians to speak out and not be afraid to give their opinions without fear or favour.

Unfortunately, this experiment in freedom of expression has not worked out and it is apparent Malaysians are not yet ready to maturely debate issues in a civilised manner. Instead, bloggers have posted false and doctored verses of the Koran and have slandered Islam as an evil religion and Prophet Muhammad as a rapist and child molester.

Such postings, done under the guise of freedom of expression, run foul of Malaysia’s Sedition Act and are an insult to Muslims. In the eyes of both Islam as well as Malaysia’s law on sedition, for Malaysia Today to continue allowing such postings in the blogs would mean Malaysia Today is encouraging or collaborating with these parties.

We have still maintained the blogs in the news, complaints and debating sections though. Nevertheless, if the blogs in these sections start suffering the same abuse then these too will need to be closed. Thereafter, Malaysia Today will have to revert to how it started, as a purely alternative news website with no more facilities for readers to debate or offer their views and comments.

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