What? Ali Rustam a Blogger?

(Also posted in Malaysia-Today)
Something very significant happened on 8 March 2008. It was like the burst of lightning that awakened everybody from their slumber. All of a sudden the whole country is riveted to the political process, and we have unprecedented number of mamak stalls, kopitiam politicians and whatnot.

The level of participation from the rakyat on the political process is truly astounding. For example when YB Lim Kit Siang made a wrong move, within the first couple of hours hundreds of messages have already appeared all over the web condemning his move. The same thing happened when Sivasubramaniam threatened to quit. Similarly when Mohd Ali Rustam made some truly stupid remarks regarding the pig farm project in Selangor he was bombarded with hundreds of very unflattering comments in his blog.

But this is where the similarity ends. While YB Lim made a public apology and Sivasubramaniam reverted his decision promptly, Mohd Ali Rustam chose to delete the offending comments and locked down his blog to prevent further comments. I almost fell off my chair when I read about it in Malaysiakini. Was he trying to control the internet like how BN controlled the mainstream media? Was he in denial mode, sweeping the dirt under the carpet and pretend that everything was hunky-dory? I could not believe that 50 years of BN rules has produced leaders of such colossal stupidity and arrogance. The way he is going – I don’t think he will last another election. I will do my part to see to it that he doesn’t last another election.

This simple incident illustrates a dramatic difference between Barisan Nasional politics and Pakatan Rakyat politics. In Barisan Nasional politics, the leaders say and everybody listens. The leaders are high above; they cannot be criticized, beyond criticism and untouchable. And UNMO expects this bunch of arrogant idiots to run their personal blogs?

Blogging is very much about coming face to face with the readers and subjecting oneself to be judged by all. Nobody cares about your Tan Sri title, your personal palace, your Mercedes Benz, your police escorts, and there is no secretary to filter out unwelcomed guests. Everybody is on equal ground, and only one’s integrity and intelligence matter. It was never a one sided conversation. Even our respected Raja Petra, whom everybody listens to, would read the reader’s comments and change his writing style accordingly.

Today is a very sad day indeed, because Makal Osai is being shut down. No reasons were given, and no reasons need to be given. I felt a wrenching pain in my heart as Makal Osai is one newspaper that was not subjugated to being a mouth piece of the ruling party. I don’t read Makal Osai, but I strongly believe that politics should not interfere with the media. The people should be the judge. The people as a collective gathering have infinitely more wisdom to decide what is right and true than a bunch of self-serving politicians.

Yes, I am still boycotting the mainstream media. I will continue to advocate it until the mainstream media learn to uphold its sacred duty with true integrity or die a natural death. I am but one humble voice answering the call to straighten our media. If the calling is true, the number of voices will multiple and before we know it we will have another tsunami. This is how the collective process works.

If you believe in the urgency of the matter, please add your voice here: Boycott the newspapers!