• MCMC orders TMNet to block Malaysia Today website.

While trying to accesss Malaysia-Today website on the day Permatang Pauh votes, I was rather surprised when my browser could not reach it’s server. Instead I was routed back to my own PC almost immediately which is not the way its supposed to be responding for overcrowded sites. This is a DNS fault and true enough, having found out later that TMNet has blocked Malaysia-Today website. Luckily an alternative domain, http://mt.harapanmalaysia.com/2008/ was setup to workaround the problem of accessing its website.

Right, it is now officially known that MCMC has instructed TMNet to block Malaysia-Today citing ‘insensitive comments’. In other words, comments that are anti-government in nature and most of them are certainly true if you ask me.

MCMC’s blockage does not go down well with me, frankly. And I’d bet a raft of fellow Malaysians, especially internet users, are going to get very annoyed by MCMC’s moronic move. Here’s a few voicing their disgusts in MalaysiaKini.com.

If Barisan Nasional were to (allowed to) follow through and clamp down alternative news websites, I’d bet the next victims would be MalaysiaKini.com, MalaysiaInsider.com and prominent opposition’s blogs as well. Lim Kit Siang’s blog and Jeff Ooi immediately springs to mind. How about political journo bloggers like Rocky or SLoone? Oh yes please says MCMC if they’re allowed to have their way.

By trying to suppress free speech, UMNO will again shoot itself in the foot. Is it not apparent enough that Malaysians have voiced their feelings towards the government? Letting their votes do the talking and it sounds like this “Do not challenge the rakyat anymore! Enough is ENOUGH!”.

After March 08, the rakyat has allowed UMNO to remain federal government, albeit just barely, a chance to repent and correct their arrogant ways. Instead, UMNO digs a deeper hole for themselves when taking racial tones up a notch, plunging the country into an economic slump, charging Anwar Ibrahim with sodomy allegation, rushing the DNA bill to be used against Anwar, arresting bloggers, playing dirty (still) at Permatang Pauh’s by-election and showing its intention to suppress free speech judging by what is happening to Malaysia-Today. To rub salt in our wounds, they have the audacity to hypocritically justify their despicable actions as fair, virtuous and beneficial to the nation.

All I can say to UMNO is, do so at your own peril. The tagline for Malaysians post March 08 2008 is ‘Rakyat pantang dicabar‘.

COME ON!!!