ASEAN Discussion Thread

by **-Astoria** » Thu Jun 04, 2020 2:58 am

What's all this wall of screed about?

by **Twicetagram and JYPe** » Thu Jun 04, 2020 4:47 am

Hi peeps long time no see I guess.

by **Dahyan** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 8:42 am

https://www.malaysia-today.net/2020/06/ ... e-council/

The leadership of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) has confirmed that Mahathir's membership of the party has been revoked.

by **New Bremerton** » Sun Jun 14, 2020 11:58 pm

Duterte-critic journalist Ressa convicted in Philippine libel case

High-profile Philippine journalist Maria Ressa was convicted Monday in a cyber libel case that press freedom advocates have branded a ploy to silence critics of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Ressa, 56, and her news site Rappler have been the target of legal action and probes after publishing stories critical of Duterte’s policies, including his drug war that has killed thousands.

She was allowed to remain free on bail after the verdict pending a possible appeal of the conviction, which carried a sentence of up to six years.

“We are going to stand up against any kind of attacks against press freedom,” Ressa told journalists after the conviction in Manila.

Monday’s verdict decided a trial that stemmed from a businessman’s 2017 complaint over a Rappler story five years earlier about his alleged ties to a then-judge on the nation’s top court.

Ressa, who Time magazine named as a Person of the Year in 2018, did not write the article and government investigators initially dismissed the businessman’s allegation.

But state prosecutors later filed charges against her and Reynaldo Santos, the former Rappler journalist who wrote it, under a controversial cyber crime statute aimed at online offences such as stalking and child pornography.

The law they are accused of violating took effect in September 2012, months after the article was published.

But prosecutors say Rappler’s typographical correction to the story in 2014 to change “evation” to “evasion” was a substantial modification and the article was thus covered by the law.

“I’ve been the cautionary tale: be quiet or you’re next… that’s part of the reason why I have been targeted,” Ressa, a co-founder of Rappler and a former CNN journalist, told AFP in an exclusive interview last week.

Duterte’s government has said the case is not politically motivated and that authorities must enforce the law, even against journalists.

– ‘Fake news outlet’ –

But rights groups and press advocates say the libel charge along with a series of tax cases against Rappler and a government move to strip the news site of its licence amount to state harassment.

Amnesty International said the “attacks” against Rappler were part of a wider government crackdown on media freedom in the Philippines.

Ressa’s verdict comes just over a month after government regulators forced off the air ABS-CBN, the nation’s top broadcaster, following years of threats by Duterte to shut down the network.

Both Rappler and ABS-CBN have reported extensively on Duterte’s anti-drugs campaign in which police have gunned down alleged dealers and users in operations condemned by rights groups.

Some of the crackdown’s highest-profile critics have wound up behind bars, including Senator Leila de Lima, who is serving three years in jail on drug charges she insists were fabricated to silence her.

In 2018, Duterte denounced Rappler as a “fake news outlet” and subsequently banned Ressa and her colleagues from his public engagements. – AFP

This is it. Like Singapore, Myanmar, and most of the rest of ASEAN bar Indonesia (and Malaysia, barely), the Philippines can no longer claim to be a democracy in any real sense. Pro-PRC fascist dictator Rodrigo Duterte has got to go.

by **Region of Dwipantara** » Mon Jun 15, 2020 12:41 am

Imperial Majapahit wrote:
New Bremerton wrote:-I'm genuinely flattered when foreigners actually praise Malaysia. Most Malaysians including myself tend not to think very highly of ourselves, and to be fair, international coverage of Malaysia, or what little there is of it, has almost always been negative-

Not gonna lie, as your neighbour, I genuinely feel like you guys are one step ahead of us in many aspects. We've got a lot of catching up to do.

In many way yes, but in other ways we are in a better position tbh. Unlike Malaysia, the secular govt has the "Pancasila" card, which, armed with 50 years of pro-Pancasila PKn brainwashing, give the state a pretty effective casus belli to rein back on radical Islamism and quash their more dangerous elements with relative force. The existence of powerful moderate blocs such as the NU also serves as a counterweight that can minimize the influence of the intolerant Islamists. Although events like 2017 also reminds us that we shouldn't rely on them too much.

Still, unlike the people running Kelantan (which, based on a documentary about wayang puppet show there, seems pretty crazy), I'd say that we are pretty successful at preventing the Islamists from gaining real power. Heck, the Islamists seemed pretty desperate in 2019 presidential elections that they allied themselves to a wine-drinking, prayers-skipping, pro-US, hyper-nationalistic, secular retired general with questionable human rights records, which doesn't really sound "pro-Islam" to me. But 2024 is pretty worrying though, as ever since the PDIP-Gerindra alliance, the political spectrum has been firmly polarized between the hardline Islamists opposition vs the ruling nationalist-moderate-military oligarchy.

by **New Visayan Islands** » Mon Jun 15, 2020 1:28 am

New Bremerton wrote:Duterte-critic journalist Ressa convicted in Philippine libel case

High-profile Philippine journalist Maria Ressa was convicted Monday in a cyber libel case that press freedom advocates have branded a ploy to silence critics of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Ressa, 56, and her news site Rappler have been the target of legal action and probes after publishing stories critical of Duterte’s policies, including his drug war that has killed thousands.

She was allowed to remain free on bail after the verdict pending a possible appeal of the conviction, which carried a sentence of up to six years.

“We are going to stand up against any kind of attacks against press freedom,” Ressa told journalists after the conviction in Manila.

Monday’s verdict decided a trial that stemmed from a businessman’s 2017 complaint over a Rappler story five years earlier about his alleged ties to a then-judge on the nation’s top court.

Ressa, who Time magazine named as a Person of the Year in 2018, did not write the article and government investigators initially dismissed the businessman’s allegation.

But state prosecutors later filed charges against her and Reynaldo Santos, the former Rappler journalist who wrote it, under a controversial cyber crime statute aimed at online offences such as stalking and child pornography.

The law they are accused of violating took effect in September 2012, months after the article was published.

But prosecutors say Rappler’s typographical correction to the story in 2014 to change “evation” to “evasion” was a substantial modification and the article was thus covered by the law.

“I’ve been the cautionary tale: be quiet or you’re next… that’s part of the reason why I have been targeted,” Ressa, a co-founder of Rappler and a former CNN journalist, told AFP in an exclusive interview last week.

Duterte’s government has said the case is not politically motivated and that authorities must enforce the law, even against journalists.

– ‘Fake news outlet’ –

But rights groups and press advocates say the libel charge along with a series of tax cases against Rappler and a government move to strip the news site of its licence amount to state harassment.

Amnesty International said the “attacks” against Rappler were part of a wider government crackdown on media freedom in the Philippines.

Ressa’s verdict comes just over a month after government regulators forced off the air ABS-CBN, the nation’s top broadcaster, following years of threats by Duterte to shut down the network.

Both Rappler and ABS-CBN have reported extensively on Duterte’s anti-drugs campaign in which police have gunned down alleged dealers and users in operations condemned by rights groups.

Some of the crackdown’s highest-profile critics have wound up behind bars, including Senator Leila de Lima, who is serving three years in jail on drug charges she insists were fabricated to silence her.

In 2018, Duterte denounced Rappler as a “fake news outlet” and subsequently banned Ressa and her colleagues from his public engagements. – AFP

This is it. Like Singapore, Myanmar, and most of the rest of ASEAN bar Indonesia (and Malaysia, barely), the Philippines can no longer claim to be a democracy in any real sense. Pro-PRC fascist dictator Rodrigo Duterte has got to go.

At the rate this is headed, what's the betting Duterte will find himself in this list soon?

by **New Bremerton** » Mon Jun 15, 2020 2:18 am

But prosecutors say Rappler’s typographical correction to the story in 2014 to change “evation” to “evasion” was a substantial modification and the article was thus covered by the law.

How petty and absurd.

by **Region of Dwipantara** » Mon Jun 15, 2020 5:17 am

New Visayan Islands wrote:
New Bremerton wrote:Duterte-critic journalist Ressa convicted in Philippine libel case

This is it. Like Singapore, Myanmar, and most of the rest of ASEAN bar Indonesia (and Malaysia, barely), the Philippines can no longer claim to be a democracy in any real sense. Pro-PRC fascist dictator Rodrigo Duterte has got to go.

At the rate this is headed, what's the betting Duterte will find himself in this list soon?

Wow, never know that. The number of familiar faces are disturbing, even more disturbing when they are also our vital partner and ally that we intimately interact with (in a geopolitical sense).

by **New Bremerton** » Mon Jun 15, 2020 7:33 am

Meanwhile in Malaysia:

Umno Youth demands answer from Saifuddin on lawyer's appointment

An Umno leader has joined in the calls from PAS to question Communications and Multimedia Minister Saifuddin Abdullah's appointment of human rights lawyer Eric Paulsen as a member of the ministry's consultative council.

Umno Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki in a statement urged Saifuddin to clarify the basis of Paulsen's appointment, accusing the latter of being known for statements that allegedly insulted Islam and Muslims as a whole.

"He (Paulsen) has repeatedly hurt the feelings of Muslims through his writing, for instance by accusing Jakim of promoting extremism in Friday prayer sermons, mocking Syariah laws and blaming religious schools for being a training ground for religious fanatics," claimed Asyraf.

When contacted, Paulsen once again declined comment, after he had yesterday said it would be better to not respond to critics from PAS who urged Saifuddin to reconsider and revoke his appointment as one of 15 council members.

Aside from PAS Youth deputy chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari, PAS Information chief Kamaruzaman Mohamad also spoke out against Paulsen's role in the Communications and Multimedia Consultative Council, alongside academicians and other industry stakeholders.

Commenting further, Asyraf said if Paulsen's appointment was made based on his background as a human rights lawyer, there are many other candidates with more moderate views in line with the Eastern values and norms.

"Umno Youth hopes that Saifuddin will not repeat his mistake while with Harapan that actively promoted the agenda to ratify Icerd, the Rome Statute and other international human rights conventions that have the potential to disrupt the stability of our multi-ethnic and multi-religious nation," he said.

Last year, PAS had raised similar objections against Paulsen's appointment as Malaysia's representative to the Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights 2019-2021, also by Saifuddin as the then foreign minister under the Harapan administration.

Bersatu joins calls against Paulsen

Aside from PAS and Umno, calls against Paulsen's new role were also made by Saifuddin's Bersatu colleagues.

Taking to Twitter, Bersatu supreme council member Mohd Rafiq Naizamohideen echoed attacks against Paulsen's allegedly extremist views that purportedly insulted Islam.

"Eric Paulsen's appointment should be revoked as he is an extremist lawyer who often makes statements that insult Islam," claimed the Paya Rumput state assemblyperson.

Meanwhile, Bersatu Youth exco member Muzzammil Ismail also registered the wing's objections, warning of a possible public backlash against PN.

"We cannot repeat past mistakes that in the end led to a deficit in public trust.

"Don't let people accuse the PN government of failing to walk the talk with this appointment," he said.

Aside from his formal appointments, Paulsen is also known as the co-founder and current adviser to human rights NGO Lawyers for Liberty.

Entitled, far-right, Muslim supremacists from three of the four main parties/coalitions in the PN government demand that an ex-PKR turncoat and current information minister explain his decision to appoint a human rights lawyer whom they accuse of "insulting" their uniquely untouchable religion and ironically accuse of holding "extremist" views for having the temerity to challenge their overtly Muslim supremacist, pro-terrorist, racist, antisemitic, misogynistic, homophobic, transphobic, theocratic, totalitarian, sharia bullshit.

The racists and fascists are once again reasserting themselves at the dinner table, threatening to drown out all other dissenting voices as they've always done these past 57 (E. M'sia)/63 (W. M'sia) years. One rule for Islam and Muslims. One rule for those of all other faiths or none. One rule for entitled Muslim extremists. One rule for a decidedly inferior subclass of infidels, atheists, and apostates. Muslims are once again being given free rein to loudly and openly mock, humiliate, and violently threaten and intimidate those of non-Muslim faiths or none, but if a liberal Muslim or dissenting non-Muslim so much as dares to utter even ONE WORD back in response, it's straight to the slammer for 10 years or more for challenging the unquestionable supremacy of Malays and Islam over those of inferior faith, or abominable atheist scum such as myself.

It was only recently that Muslim supremacists in government sought to impose sharia on non-Muslims by attempting to ban the sale of alcohol, ostensibly to curb drunk-driving. This is also the same country where the then-Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) of Perlis publicly called for atheists like myself to be "hunted down" and then-PM Najib Razak characterized "liberal atheists" such as myself as a "threat to national security".

No compulsion in Islam. Suuuure. These theocrats don't respect us or our diverse cultures and faiths (or none), nor do they give a fuck about our civil rights and dignity as non-Muslim infidels, so why should we even bother to give their religion and only theirs even a single ounce of our undue respect and deference while they daily humiliate, threaten, and subjugate us under their theocratic jackboot? If there is one religion that deserves to be mercilessly mocked, harshly criticized, and relentlessly ridiculed and challenged more than any other, if only to trigger the legion of intolerant, theocratic, extremist snowflakes who would want us dead, or at the very least jailed for a very long time, for having the audacity to speak out, it's Islam.

[Note, however, that site rules may prevent me from actually criticizing/insulting Islam on here, and I won't do so on FB because I fear for my safety and the legal repercussions of "insulting Islam". I do not intend to troll ALL Muslims, particularly moderate or liberal Muslims, both on NS and offsite. If for some reason, I do end up drawing satirical caricatures of Mohammed or burning physical copies of the Qur'an offsite and IRL, I do it specifically to troll the corrupt, theocratic bigots who run my country, not ALL Muslims.]

by **New Bremerton** » Mon Jun 15, 2020 10:02 pm

And once again, the Malaysian government caves to pressure from extremists instead of telling them to fuck right off. This is where being a spineless coward and a self-serving turncoat and defector gets you and all of us, Saifuddin Abdullah. You should be thoroughly ashamed.

by **Imperial Majapahit** » Fri Jun 19, 2020 4:22 am

Region of Dwipantara wrote:-snip-

Ah well, I guess you're right. We might be doing better than them politically. On the cha-ching side, though, not so much.

New Bremerton wrote:And once again, the Malaysian government caves to pressure from extremists instead of telling them to fuck right off.

Wow. Just... wow. I feel a wave of déjà vu coming by reading that. I sympathise with y'all.

by **New Bremerton** » Thu Jul 02, 2020 11:55 am

Crossposting this here.

New Bremerton wrote:
United England n Wales wrote:I hope your family remains safe in these dangerous and unprecedented times in HK.
I did not know that you could not speak out against China in Malaysia, no one should have to self censor themselves just so you dont go to prison.

Fucking crazy times.

It's not that the Malaysian government specifically bans criticism of China (although Joshua Wong was deported by the Malaysian government a few years ago at China's behest. Our government was/is corrupt and takes a very dim view toward any honest critique of race relations in Malaysia, selectively enforcing so-called anti-hate speech laws against anyone who dares challenge the special place of Islam and the superior position of ethnic Malays in this country. Our former PM Najib Razak was also implicated in a massive corruption scandal while in office, and he attempted to pass a slew of draconian laws as well as enforce existing draconian laws that were passed by his racist and equally corrupt predecessors in order to quash domestic political dissent against the racist, Malaysian regime, in order to protect his faltering reputation.

Najib was about to sell us out to China by signing off on at least two Belt-and-Road projects that benefit no one and would've saddled us in even deeper debt that would've been impossible to pay off, reducing us to a subservient, Chinese vassal state.

I was saying that I was initially fearful of the emergence of a totalitarian, Islamist, theocratic dictatorship with a Malay supremacist, racist icing taking hold following a sudden change of government four months ago, although that outcome hasn't exactly materialized in the months since.

I feel like a total coward and a useless, submissive cuck for caving to totalitarian bullies now. It's not something I can ever be proud of. Islam alone wasn't the enemy of freedom, nor was it socialism or even nationalism. The real enemy of freedom is authoritarianism and tyranny of all stripes. THAT is what I've been angrily and obsessively railing against all these years. The hell that HK has been put through has enabled me to distinguish between totalitarian radical Islamists and ordinary Malaysian Muslims to a degree I never thought possible. Compared to the HK police and the proposed NSO that is set to begin operating secretly in the city, the Malaysian police and army are much more professional and restrained in the execution of their duties.

That key difference, combined with just how successfully Malaysia has handled the coronavirus pandemic within its own borders compared to the total shitshow that is the supposedly industrialized United States, has made me realize Malaysia really isn't THAT bad compared to HK or the Western world, and that's saying a lot. I'll take political freedom over economic prosperity any day of the week, and I'll take individual responsibility and self-discipline over a wantonly selfish and reckless disregard for the lives and health of other human beings in a time of crisis.

The total abolition of "One Country, Two Systems" in all but name and the seemingly unstoppable spread of a deadly virus in so many far-flung countries including many industrialized, Western countries have opened my eyes in so many ways.

I should crosspost this to the ASEAN thread just to keep it alive.

I might actually be proud to be Malaysian right now, but don't be too surprised if this sentiment turns out to be premature and I end up changing my mind yet again.

by **New Bremerton** » Thu Jul 09, 2020 2:26 am

Police initiate investigation on report by Al Jazeera

Not too late to present your side of Al Jazeera report - Ambiga tells ministers

Former National Human Rights Society (Hakam) president Ambiga Sreenevasan said it is “not too late” for the relevant ministers to present their sides to claims made by Al Jazeera in a contentious documentary.

In a tweet, Ambiga (above) pointed out that the international news organisation had claimed to have sought the responses of Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Home Minister Hamzah Zainuddin and their deputies, prior to airing the report.

However, their requests were allegedly not entertained.

Al Jazeera in a 25-minute documentary aired on July 3, titled Locked Up in Malaysia’s Lockdown, criticised Malaysia in its handling of undocumented migrants during the movement control order (MCO) enforced to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It was reported that apparently relevant ministers refused to be interviewed by Al Jazeera. Pity isn’t it since that would have been the best opportunity to present their side.

“It’s not too late. They can still do it,” said the former member of the Institutional Reforms Committee under the previous government and Bersih chairperson.

It was reported that apparently relevant Ministers refused to be interviewed by Al Jazeera. Pity isn’t it since that would have been the best opportunity to present their side. It’s not too late. They can still do it. https://t.co/hSOnXun6nF
— Ambiga Sreenevasan (@Ambiga_S) July 8, 2020

She made the posting in response to a tweet by Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin, who shared a compilation of netizens’ comments criticising the documentary, which is now the subject of a police probe.

“The government also seeks for Al Jazeera to apologise to all Malaysians over the inaccurate report,” the minister tweeted.

Her tweet echoed the call for an apology by Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob (above), who labelled the documentary as “unethical” and denied that the government had been racist in handling undocumented migrants.

Controversy immediately erupted over claims aired on Al Jazeera’s 101 East programme, with critics claiming it misrepresented facts.

Among others, it deemed the immigration raids "military-style", alleged that minors were handcuffed and migrants were housed under cramped conditions.

The documentary also questioned if the crackdown was the “practical reality of dealing with the pandemic or is it racism?”

The report included interviews with migrants, NGOs, civil society organisations, and trade associations.

While not addressing the claim that Al Jazeera’s request for comment had not been entertained, Ismail responded later that the Perikatan Nasional government had not specifically targeted migrants, but everyone located in those areas specifically hit hard by Covid-19.

"It is not true to accuse us of being racist in our action as we acted according to the law. The Immigration Department nabbed the undocumented migrants based on the Immigration Act,” he had said.

Hamzah had since maintained that the authorities acted within the law, as well as according to the people’s wishes, while Health Minister Dr Adham Baba also denied the racism claim.

Aside from police investigations, the authorities are also searching for a Bangladesh national who was interviewed on the show.

Social media anger over the report continued to be fuelled, with Twitterjaya calling for the reporters and the interviewee to be deported.

Some have even taken to doxing the interviewee by revealing his purported known locations and place of work.

The National Security Council (NSC), which is coordinating the response to the virus outbreak, has also issued a warning that migrants risked having their immigration passes cancelled if they make “inaccurate statements” against the country.

Cancel culture rears its ugly head once again in Malaysia. The Malaysian government is so offended by the contents of an Al Jazeera documentary characterizing its coronavirus response, rightly or wrongly, as racist, that it is pursuing legal action against the network for daring to call it out. It was reported that a woman from Putrajaya, a Federal Territory populated mainly by civil servants and their families, was the one who filed the vindictive and politically-motivated police report.

As much as I distrust the left-leaning, Qatar-based network and some of the content it churns out, no government should ever go after the press in this way, no matter how unethical and despicable some journalists and editors may be. It's a bit rich of Sabri Yaakob, like many a smug, self-righteous Malaysian politician has done since time immemorial, to pretend to speak for all Malaysians. I don't need Al Jazeera to "apologize" to me.

Police are also searching for a foreign national who was interviewed in the program. The foreigner in question is now the victim of a doxing attempt spearheaded by far-right, cancel-culture fascists aligned with the government.

The only person who has managed to keep a level head and calmly field questions about the documentary and the government's treatment of migrants being held in detention facilities instead of calling for fire and fury is Health DG Noor Hisham. Thanks to him, the coronavirus has been almost completely contained in Malaysia, even within the detention facilities. My only criticism is that he should have volunteered to be interviewed by Al Jazeera in lieu of the thin-skinned, political cowards who have lashed out in the way they have. I'm pretty sure he would've been able to handle the scrutiny.

Meanwhile, a full, 25-day parliamentary sitting will finally be held beginning July 13. An SOP has already been drawn up and approved.

As far as I know, Pakatan Harapan is still trying to decide who the next PM should be in the event that it manages to regain power in a counter-coup. Tun M, who is incredibly obsessed about his legacy and selfishly continues to string everyone along, was insistent that he should be PM for at least another six months prior to handing the torch over to Anwar, and WARISAN would only back Harapan if Tun M was in charge.

Another possible arrangement would place Shafie Apdal, CM of Sabah and head of WARISAN, at the helm, with Anwar and Tun M's son Mukhriz as deputy PMs. I don't know what the current situation is and I don't have particularly high hopes for Harapan winning again if a snap poll is held.

On the coronavirus situation, Malaysia has been recording a single-digit increase in new cases almost every day since the beginning of this month and has recorded zero local transmissions on two separate occasions. My home state of Sarawak has finally recorded zero local transmissions for 14 days in a row, with the only new cases being imported from overseas and quarantined from the very outset.

I'm particularly impressed by the way domestic passengers returning to Sarawak were screened upon arrival at the airport. Soldiers and health workers dressed in full PPE were out in full force. One of the soldiers who addressed us spoke fluent English. I did not see anyone being tested, however. The SOP for air travel dictates that, while passengers are no longer required to social-distance while seated and flights are able to operate at full capacity and frequency, overhead compartments are locked, trolley bags are checked in well in advance, and standing in line is strictly prohibited. Passengers are required to exit the aircraft one row at a time. Face masks must be worn at all times.

Returnees to Sarawak are also required to fill out an eHealth Declaration and install the MySejahtera contact-tracing app, which includes a QR scanner for the purpose of "clocking in" at various premises across the country. Various Bluetooth apps are also available for download at the national and state levels.

Takeaway message: Detailed standard operating procedures (SOPs) must be meticulously drawn up on a step-by-step basis for each and every major industry and economic sector, type of venue, and every public activity such as sports, recreation, tourism, and worship, and strictly enforced and adhered to, and anyone who fails to comply with SOPs should be fined on the spot and any offending business closed down until further notice.

I'm honestly surprised the Health DG was able to convince the powers-that-be to allow him to take charge and even convince them to cancel Hari Raya/Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations and close down mosques across the country in spite of mUh rElIgIoUs fEeLs. This is all currently taking place long after domestic travel restrictions and the stay-at-home order have been lifted.

by **New Bremerton** » Fri Jul 10, 2020 8:06 am

On top of the recent attacks on press freedom in Malaysia, a Philippine parliamentary committee has denied ABS-CBN a new lease of life:

One of the Philippines' largest broadcasters, ABS-CBN, has been refused a new licence after being forced off air in May.

On Friday, an overwhelming majority of a parliamentary committee rejected as "undeserving" ABS-CBN's request for a 25-year extension of its franchise.

Government critics say the refusal is directly connected to the channel's criticism of President Rodrigo Duterte.

ABS-CBN refused to broadcast Mr Duterte's campaign ads in 2016.

The broadcaster, which operates dozens of radio and TV stations, was first taken off air on 4 May its broadcast licence expired.

Ahead of the vote on its renewal application, pictures on social media showed supporters of the network outside Congress holding up posters proclaiming "Defend Press Freedom" and "Stop The Attacks".

"This is a black day for media freedom in a country previously regarded as a bastion of press freedom and democracy in the region," Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch, said on Friday.

"Today's vote to deny the franchise renewal is an astounding display of obsequious behaviour by Congressional representatives, kowtowing to Duterte by agreeing to seriously limit media freedom in the Philippines," he said.

Opposition lawmakers say the suspension also undermines the fight against the coronavirus outbreak, which has infected more than 50,000 people in the country and killed more than 1,300.

ABS-CBN regularly reached more than 15 million homes on TV, radio and online. Founded in 1953, the media conglomerate employs some 11,000 people.

It can appeal against Friday's decision.

While freedom of the press is guaranteed under the constitution, the Philippines is one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists, according to the US-based charity Freedom House.

And according to press freedom group Reporters Without Borders, "Private militias, often hired by local politicians, silence journalists with complete impunity".

Last month, Maria Ressa, the head of popular online news site Rappler, was found guilty of libel, in a case seen by many as an attempt to silence the site, which had been critical of the government.

The Philippines ranks 136th out of 180 countries on the World Press Freedom Index.

Although a commercial operation, ABS-CBN is very similar to the British Broadcasting Corporation. With more than 70 years of TV and radio history, it has shaped the Filipino psyche with entertainment and news programmes for all of the family.

But its critics say it represents the rich and powerful of the Philippines and, as an old, mainstream media offering, is out of touch with the will of social media users here.

Supporters of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte say it is biased against him, but human rights groups say his supporters are missing the point - they say journalists are needed more than ever to keep Mr Duterte's power in check.

They point to the case of the news website Rappler. In 2018 alone, 11 legal cases were filed against the company in a move opposition groups say was a revenge attack by the president for critical coverage of his bloody drug war.

With television screens now blank where ABS-CBN's news programmes would otherwise be running, journalists are already calling 10 July 2020 a "black day" for freedom of speech in the Philippines.

by **Twicetagram and JYPe** » Fri Jul 10, 2020 8:59 am

Now Singapore election results are going to be released.
Based on the sample counts, PAP is expected to hold majority of the seats, with WP expected to snatch Aljunied-Hougang GRC again.
Not surprised on PAP's dominance, but this time PAP has had some close shaves, with opposition going as close as a few percent off.

by **Pilipinas and Malaya** » Fri Jul 10, 2020 10:15 am

New Bremerton wrote:On top of the recent attacks on press freedom in Malaysia, a Philippine parliamentary committee has denied ABS-CBN a new lease of life:

One of the Philippines' largest broadcasters, ABS-CBN, has been refused a new licence after being forced off air in May.

On Friday, an overwhelming majority of a parliamentary committee rejected as "undeserving" ABS-CBN's request for a 25-year extension of its franchise.

Government critics say the refusal is directly connected to the channel's criticism of President Rodrigo Duterte.

ABS-CBN refused to broadcast Mr Duterte's campaign ads in 2016.

The broadcaster, which operates dozens of radio and TV stations, was first taken off air on 4 May its broadcast licence expired.

Ahead of the vote on its renewal application, pictures on social media showed supporters of the network outside Congress holding up posters proclaiming "Defend Press Freedom" and "Stop The Attacks".

"This is a black day for media freedom in a country previously regarded as a bastion of press freedom and democracy in the region," Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch, said on Friday.

"Today's vote to deny the franchise renewal is an astounding display of obsequious behaviour by Congressional representatives, kowtowing to Duterte by agreeing to seriously limit media freedom in the Philippines," he said.

Opposition lawmakers say the suspension also undermines the fight against the coronavirus outbreak, which has infected more than 50,000 people in the country and killed more than 1,300.

ABS-CBN regularly reached more than 15 million homes on TV, radio and online. Founded in 1953, the media conglomerate employs some 11,000 people.

It can appeal against Friday's decision.

While freedom of the press is guaranteed under the constitution, the Philippines is one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists, according to the US-based charity Freedom House.

And according to press freedom group Reporters Without Borders, "Private militias, often hired by local politicians, silence journalists with complete impunity".

Last month, Maria Ressa, the head of popular online news site Rappler, was found guilty of libel, in a case seen by many as an attempt to silence the site, which had been critical of the government.

The Philippines ranks 136th out of 180 countries on the World Press Freedom Index.

Although a commercial operation, ABS-CBN is very similar to the British Broadcasting Corporation. With more than 70 years of TV and radio history, it has shaped the Filipino psyche with entertainment and news programmes for all of the family.

But its critics say it represents the rich and powerful of the Philippines and, as an old, mainstream media offering, is out of touch with the will of social media users here.

Supporters of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte say it is biased against him, but human rights groups say his supporters are missing the point - they say journalists are needed more than ever to keep Mr Duterte's power in check.

They point to the case of the news website Rappler. In 2018 alone, 11 legal cases were filed against the company in a move opposition groups say was a revenge attack by the president for critical coverage of his bloody drug war.

With television screens now blank where ABS-CBN's news programmes would otherwise be running, journalists are already calling 10 July 2020 a "black day" for freedom of speech in the Philippines.

The politicians here are just using literally any sort of ammo against ABS-CBN. From “morals” (which I honestly doubt a few of the politicians have) to employee interviews (which were pretty favourable to ABS-CBN anyway). They didn’t care at all for the millions of people that may suffer from an information blackout (because ABS-CBN is the dominant broadcaster in many rural areas and the main news reporting station for international diasporas and OFWs) or the thousands of employees and actors who will lose jobs as a result of the closure. Some congressmen and women have said vote with their conscience, but their conscience doesn’t serve the Filipino people.

ABS-CBN have obviously very clearly displayed their points as to why their franchise should be renewed, but many congressmen and women have ignored that. What sucks about our congress is that the opposition is pretty much gone, many of the former opposition jumped ships in 2016 after Duterte’s election. The extremely weakened Liberals and a few smaller parties are all that remain. I’m pretty sure a few logical fallacies were made by members of Congress (which isn’t that surprising, seeing as some senators were elected because they were a good actor, or because they were heavily related to Duterte). Congress is pretty much a rubber stamp, if the party unifies all its votes.

Voters are surely pissed that ABS-CBN barely exists anymore. Many voters that were very pro-ABS-CBN and Duterte have now flipped, and are voting for a different candidate than the manok ni Duterte (Duterte’s pick for president). I hope this anger continues well into 2022.

Not only does this affect our news, but entertainment as well. Many of our best directors and studios are heavily affiliated with ABS-CBN. Most of our well-known actors are from ABS-CBN. ABS-CBN produces much better content than their rival, GMA.

So in short, Duterte sucks. I used to believe in his lies, but I very quickly flipped after his reaction to China occupying the Spratlys and the Hague Arbitration case. I thought he was doing pretty okay, even after that. But the Anti-Terror Bill and the ABS-CBN franchise renewal being cancelled were the last straws.

by **Pilipinas and Malaya** » Fri Jul 10, 2020 10:17 am

New Bremerton wrote:On top of the recent attacks on press freedom in Malaysia, a Philippine parliamentary committee has denied ABS-CBN a new lease of life:

One of the Philippines' largest broadcasters, ABS-CBN, has been refused a new licence after being forced off air in May.

On Friday, an overwhelming majority of a parliamentary committee rejected as "undeserving" ABS-CBN's request for a 25-year extension of its franchise.

Government critics say the refusal is directly connected to the channel's criticism of President Rodrigo Duterte.

ABS-CBN refused to broadcast Mr Duterte's campaign ads in 2016.

The broadcaster, which operates dozens of radio and TV stations, was first taken off air on 4 May its broadcast licence expired.

Ahead of the vote on its renewal application, pictures on social media showed supporters of the network outside Congress holding up posters proclaiming "Defend Press Freedom" and "Stop The Attacks".

"This is a black day for media freedom in a country previously regarded as a bastion of press freedom and democracy in the region," Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch, said on Friday.

"Today's vote to deny the franchise renewal is an astounding display of obsequious behaviour by Congressional representatives, kowtowing to Duterte by agreeing to seriously limit media freedom in the Philippines," he said.

Opposition lawmakers say the suspension also undermines the fight against the coronavirus outbreak, which has infected more than 50,000 people in the country and killed more than 1,300.

ABS-CBN regularly reached more than 15 million homes on TV, radio and online. Founded in 1953, the media conglomerate employs some 11,000 people.

It can appeal against Friday's decision.

While freedom of the press is guaranteed under the constitution, the Philippines is one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists, according to the US-based charity Freedom House.

And according to press freedom group Reporters Without Borders, "Private militias, often hired by local politicians, silence journalists with complete impunity".

Last month, Maria Ressa, the head of popular online news site Rappler, was found guilty of libel, in a case seen by many as an attempt to silence the site, which had been critical of the government.

The Philippines ranks 136th out of 180 countries on the World Press Freedom Index.

Although a commercial operation, ABS-CBN is very similar to the British Broadcasting Corporation. With more than 70 years of TV and radio history, it has shaped the Filipino psyche with entertainment and news programmes for all of the family.

But its critics say it represents the rich and powerful of the Philippines and, as an old, mainstream media offering, is out of touch with the will of social media users here.

Supporters of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte say it is biased against him, but human rights groups say his supporters are missing the point - they say journalists are needed more than ever to keep Mr Duterte's power in check.

They point to the case of the news website Rappler. In 2018 alone, 11 legal cases were filed against the company in a move opposition groups say was a revenge attack by the president for critical coverage of his bloody drug war.

With television screens now blank where ABS-CBN's news programmes would otherwise be running, journalists are already calling 10 July 2020 a "black day" for freedom of speech in the Philippines.

The politicians here are just using literally any sort of ammo against ABS-CBN. From “morals” (which I honestly doubt a few of the politicians have) to employee interviews (which were pretty favourable to ABS-CBN anyway). They didn’t care at all for the millions of people that may suffer from an information blackout (because ABS-CBN is the dominant broadcaster in many rural areas and the main news reporting station for international diasporas and OFWs) or the thousands of employees and actors who will lose jobs as a result of the closure. Some congressmen and women have said vote with their conscience, but their conscience doesn’t serve the Filipino people.

ABS-CBN have obviously very clearly displayed their points as to why their franchise should be renewed, but many congressmen and women have ignored that. What sucks about our congress is that the opposition is pretty much gone, many of the former opposition jumped ships in 2016 after Duterte’s election. The extremely weakened Liberals and a few smaller parties are all that remain. I’m pretty sure a few logical fallacies were made by members of Congress (which isn’t that surprising, seeing as some senators were elected because they were a good actor, or because they were heavily related to Duterte). Congress is pretty much a rubber stamp, if the party unifies all its votes.

Voters are surely pissed that ABS-CBN barely exists anymore. Many voters that were very pro-ABS-CBN and Duterte have now flipped, and are voting for a different candidate than the manok ni Duterte (Duterte’s pick for president). I hope this anger continues well into 2022.

Not only does this affect our news, but entertainment as well. Many of our best directors and studios are heavily affiliated with ABS-CBN. Most of our well-known actors are from ABS-CBN. ABS-CBN produces much better content than their rival, GMA.

So in short, Duterte sucks. I used to believe in his lies, but I very quickly flipped after his reaction to China occupying the Spratlys and the Hague Arbitration case. I thought he was doing pretty okay, even after that. But the Anti-Terror Bill and the ABS-CBN franchise renewal being cancelled were the last straws.

by **New Bremerton** » Fri Jul 10, 2020 11:25 am

Twicetagram and JYPE wrote:Now Singapore election results are going to be released.
Based on the sample counts, PAP is expected to hold majority of the seats, with WP expected to snatch Aljunied-Hougang GRC again.
Not surprised on PAP's dominance, but this time PAP has had some close shaves, with opposition going as close as a few percent off.

According to the BBC, Lee Hsien Loong's next term in office will likely be his last. By the time his next term expires in 2025, he will have been in office for 21 years. I always thought he succeeded Goh Chok Tong in 2000, not 2004. Extensive gerrymandering, incumbent advantage, and limited campaigning time and media coverage and airtime for opposition parties has always given the PAP an unfair advantage when translated to seats. Internet campaigning was illegal until very recently according to the Wiki article on LHL.

How, in this day and age, a country where the same party is able to not only remain in power for 61 unbroken years, but control ALL the seats in Parliament during the first few decades in Singapore's history, so much so the government had to reserve first one, then nine, seats to opposition MPs just so PAP MPs can have debating partners with whom to spar, can even remotely be considered a democracy in any real sense is beyond me. People have been harassed (by both the police and ordinary Singaporean PAP/LKY loyalists alike) and prosecuted for harshly criticizing the government and particularly the Lee family. A British author was even prosecuted for criticizing the country's death penalty. Never really liked Singapore. It's basically a gilded prison for its inhabitants. This girl summed it up perfectly six years ago.

But the length of time a single party or governing coalition, or even a sitting PM, has been in power doesn't necessarily equate to an authoritarian regime, at least in countries with a Westminster-style parliamentary rather than a Washington-style presidential system of government. The LDP has held power in Japan almost continuously and the country is widely considered to be a full, liberal democracy in stark contrast to Singapore, a mildly authoritarian, illiberal, conservative democracy.

You from Singapore?

Pilipinas and Malaya wrote:
New Bremerton wrote:On top of the recent attacks on press freedom in Malaysia, a Philippine parliamentary committee has denied ABS-CBN a new lease of life:

The politicians here are just using literally any sort of ammo against ABS-CBN. From “morals” (which I honestly doubt a few of the politicians have) to employee interviews (which were pretty favourable to ABS-CBN anyway). They didn’t care at all for the millions of people that may suffer from an information blackout (because ABS-CBN is the dominant broadcaster in many rural areas and the main news reporting station for international diasporas and OFWs) or the thousands of employees and actors who will lose jobs as a result of the closure. Some congressmen and women have said vote with their conscience, but their conscience doesn’t serve the Filipino people.

ABS-CBN have obviously very clearly displayed their points as to why their franchise should be renewed, but many congressmen and women have ignored that. What sucks about our congress is that the opposition is pretty much gone, many of the former opposition jumped ships in 2016 after Duterte’s election. The extremely weakened Liberals and a few smaller parties are all that remain. I’m pretty sure a few logical fallacies were made by members of Congress (which isn’t that surprising, seeing as some senators were elected because they were a good actor, or because they were heavily related to Duterte). Congress is pretty much a rubber stamp, if the party unifies all its votes.

Voters are surely pissed that ABS-CBN barely exists anymore. Many voters that were very pro-ABS-CBN and Duterte have now flipped, and are voting for a different candidate than the manok ni Duterte (Duterte’s pick for president). I hope this anger continues well into 2022.

Not only does this affect our news, but entertainment as well. Many of our best directors and studios are heavily affiliated with ABS-CBN. Most of our well-known actors are from ABS-CBN. ABS-CBN produces much better content than their rival, GMA.

So in short, Duterte sucks. I used to believe in his lies, but I very quickly flipped after his reaction to China occupying the Spratlys and the Hague Arbitration case. I thought he was doing pretty okay, even after that. But the Anti-Terror Bill and the ABS-CBN franchise renewal being cancelled were the last straws.

If there's one group of people I really hate, it's traitors and defectors crossing the floor of a legislature en masse and betraying their constituents' wishes due to promises of wealth, power, and prestige. I can totally relate. This kind of party-hopping should be illegal and unconstitutional.

How many Filipinos still support the guy, and what's the coronavirus situation like in the Philippines? Is the spike in cases due mainly to rampant poverty and overcrowded slums, people not taking the pandemic seriously, or official corruption and incompetence? Any right-wing, anti-lockdown protests and densely packed political rallies? Duterte himself seems to be taking the pandemic very seriously to the point of threatening to shoot and kill anyone who disobeys lockdown protocols, in stark contrast to other right-wing leaders such as Trump and Bolsonaro.

by **Pilipinas and Malaya** » Fri Jul 10, 2020 12:25 pm

New Bremerton wrote:
Pilipinas and Malaya wrote:
The politicians here are just using literally any sort of ammo against ABS-CBN. From “morals” (which I honestly doubt a few of the politicians have) to employee interviews (which were pretty favourable to ABS-CBN anyway). They didn’t care at all for the millions of people that may suffer from an information blackout (because ABS-CBN is the dominant broadcaster in many rural areas and the main news reporting station for international diasporas and OFWs) or the thousands of employees and actors who will lose jobs as a result of the closure. Some congressmen and women have said vote with their conscience, but their conscience doesn’t serve the Filipino people.

ABS-CBN have obviously very clearly displayed their points as to why their franchise should be renewed, but many congressmen and women have ignored that. What sucks about our congress is that the opposition is pretty much gone, many of the former opposition jumped ships in 2016 after Duterte’s election. The extremely weakened Liberals and a few smaller parties are all that remain. I’m pretty sure a few logical fallacies were made by members of Congress (which isn’t that surprising, seeing as some senators were elected because they were a good actor, or because they were heavily related to Duterte). Congress is pretty much a rubber stamp, if the party unifies all its votes.

Voters are surely pissed that ABS-CBN barely exists anymore. Many voters that were very pro-ABS-CBN and Duterte have now flipped, and are voting for a different candidate than the manok ni Duterte (Duterte’s pick for president). I hope this anger continues well into 2022.

Not only does this affect our news, but entertainment as well. Many of our best directors and studios are heavily affiliated with ABS-CBN. Most of our well-known actors are from ABS-CBN. ABS-CBN produces much better content than their rival, GMA.

So in short, Duterte sucks. I used to believe in his lies, but I very quickly flipped after his reaction to China occupying the Spratlys and the Hague Arbitration case. I thought he was doing pretty okay, even after that. But the Anti-Terror Bill and the ABS-CBN franchise renewal being cancelled were the last straws.

If there's one group of people I really hate, it's traitors and defectors crossing the floor of a legislature en masse and betraying their constituents' wishes due to promises of wealth, power, and prestige. I can totally relate. This kind of party-hopping should be illegal and unconstitutional.

How many Filipinos still support the guy, and what's the coronavirus situation like in the Philippines? Is the spike in cases due mainly to rampant poverty and overcrowded slums, people not taking the pandemic seriously, or official corruption and incompetence? Any right-wing, anti-lockdown protests and densely packed political rallies? Duterte himself seems to be taking the pandemic very seriously to the point of threatening to shoot and kill anyone who disobeys lockdown protocols, in stark contrast to other right-wing leaders such as Trump and Bolsonaro.

Quite a few still support Duterte, also commonly known as DDS (Duterte Diehard Supporters, which funnily enough, is an acronym also used for Davao Death Squad, a force rumoured to eliminate overly troublesome criminals in Davao). A good lot of his voter force comes from the provinces, and since I mentioned ABS-CBN was the biggest broadcaster in most of the provinces, I imagine a few will flip.

People in Manila aren’t taking this that seriously, much to many’s dismay. Filipinos love the malls way too much, and that’s probably how we get clusters. That’s right, we don’t really have much intact cluster tracking. For an explanation concerning the spike, I’d say it’s more of a mix of the latter two. Since Duterte is pretty much clearly on the right side of the spectrum, not a lot of people have gone against his orders. No rallies, no nothing. Pinoys have at least a modicum of decency and consciousness about the pandemic that not many are willing to congregate in large numbers.

by **Twicetagram and JYPe** » Fri Jul 10, 2020 7:07 pm

New Bremerton wrote:You from Singapore?

Yea, I am from Singapore.

I wouldn't call Singapore a literal prison. While LKY was still alive and about as a politician, many people had respect for him and the PAP because of how they transformed SG from a third world country to first world. It was only now(or yesterday) that the opposition actually showed a larger chance of getting a seat in parliament.

I'd say PAP's dominance is driven because of our transformation. Then-PM LKY was the main driving force of Singapore's modernisation, and since he was also the founder of the PAP it's fair to say that a lot of people trusted in PAP then.

However, in recent years, with Goh Chok Tong/LHL taking over, people have started to question PAP's monopoly in the parliament. Some thought ut was rigged, and some of them thought that SGreans were too stubborn to vote PAP instead of the opposition.

Now that Singapore is a very successful country, the main point is to develop them as a standout nation like Scandinavia, Japan, Germany... There was no LKY or his gang to lead SG through the process, which has made people question the ruling party. Some decisions like banning e-scooters and chewing gum may have influenced new voters to vote someone else.

All in all, we will only see in the future whether PAP can hold on or not.

Speaking of election results, PAP still holds majority of the 93 seats, 4 more than 2015.

Workers Party, however, has now 10 seats, after securing Aljunied and Hougang. They also won at Sengkang. I mean, I've beard Jamus Lim is a good speaker, which may be a reason of WP's win.

I'll have to vote by the next election, so I'm now trying to study all of the political parties to see which one suits my views the most.

by **New Bremerton** » Sun Jul 12, 2020 11:34 am

Immigration revokes work permit of migrant in Al Jazeera report

The Immigration Department has revoked the work permit of a Bangladesh national who appeared in the contentious Al Jazeera documentary, "Locked Up in Malaysia’s Lockdown" recently.

Inspector-General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador (above) confirmed that the work permit of Md Rayhan Kabir had been cancelled.

"As such, he is required to surrender himself before deportation to his country of origin," he was quoted as saying by Harian Metro.

The Immigration Department is searching for Rayhan, 25, and several others to assist with its probe under the Immigration Act 1959/63.

This came after police opened an investigation paper under several offences, including sedition, against Qatar-owned broadcaster Al Jazeera's 101 East programme over its 25-minute documentary aired on July 3.

The documentary highlighted the government crackdown and handling of undocumented migrants during the movement control order (MCO) in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Since its release, netizens have taken to social media to call out the alleged misrepresentation of facts in the report, with calls for the reporters and Rayhan to be deported.

Some have taken to doxxing the latter, by revealing his purported known locations and place of work.

Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob had denied accusations of racism against the government action and demanded the news agency apologise.

The National Security Council (NSC), which is coordinating the response to the Covid-19 outbreak, issued a warning that migrants risked having their immigration passes cancelled if they make “inaccurate statements” against the country.

Public sentiment against refugees and migrants have intensified since the MCO was imposed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with hateful comments proliferating on the Internet.

NGOs said that the crackdown by authorities against undocumented foreign citizens during the MCO has also exacerbated negative sentiments against refugees and migrants.

Migrant and refugee activists have also reportedly received threats of violence as well as death threats.

So when is Zakir Naik going to be deported?

Malaysiakini on trial – apex court to hear contempt case tomorrow

Editor's note: In view of the Federal Court's order for everyone to avoid commenting on this case, the commenting function for this article has been disabled.

The Federal Court will hear the contempt of court proceedings against Malaysiakini at the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya tomorrow, which could see the independent news portal being slapped with a fine or its editor-in-chief Steven Gan jailed.

On July 2, a seven-member bench of the apex court dismissed Malaysiakini's application, filed by its operator Mkini Dotcom, to set aside the leave granted to Attorney-General Idrus Harun to initiate the contempt proceedings.

Gan, who co-founded Malaysiakini together with chief executive officer Premesh Chandran in 1999, vowed that the portal would vigorously fight the contempt charge.

“We hope for the best. At the same time, we are prepared for the worst,” said Gan (below).

Idrus had initiated the contempt proceedings over five readers' comments in a Malaysiakini news report published on June 9 which have since been removed.

The attorney-general argued that the comments had “scandalised the court” and caused an erosion of public confidence in the judiciary.

Court of Appeal president Rohana Yusuf, who led the seven-member bench in dismissing Malaysiakini's application to set aside the matter, said Mkini Dotcom had facilitated the publication of the readers’ comments.

“We are of the view that (Malaysiakini) had published the comments and that a prima facie (case) had been made out. Evidence revealed that editors of (the portal) review postings (of comments) on a daily basis.

"Looking at the nature of the impugned comments which implicate the judiciary as a whole, and the chief justice of the Federal Court, we are of the view that this court is the right forum to commence these proceedings,” she added.

The court also ordered both parties to refrain from making comments on the matter - which has prompted various organisations, both in Malaysia and abroad, to express concern over the implications of the legal action – until the day of the hearing.

Offensive comments

During the setting-aside application, Malaysiakini's counsel Malik Imtiaz had submitted that the law does not require news organisations to pre-moderate and censor comments by readers on their websites.

Pointing out that some 2,000 comments are posted daily on Malaysiakini, he said the portal relied on its readers to flag offensive comments which would then be subjected to a moderation process.

As for the five comments which were the subject of the contempt action, Malik said the defendants had removed them within minutes of being informed of the matter by the police.

He argued that Malaysiakini should not be held responsible for comments made by readers and the attorney-general needs to prove that the respondents "knowingly published" the comments.

"Neither of the respondents (Malaysiakini and Gan) were involved in posting the comments. And neither of the respondents were aware (that the comments were made until alerted)," he added.

Premesh said that Malaysia has benefited from a more diverse media environment over the past 20 years.

“Those in power today have also benefited, with the media playing a key role in holding the former PM to account for the 1MDB scandal. Whatever happens, Malaysiakini will continue to report in the public interest.”

A number of organisations will be holding watching brief at the hearing, including the Bar Council, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Gerakan Media Merdeka (Geramm) and the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ).

It is possible that a decision could be delivered immediately after lawyers have completed their submissions, which may take the whole morning.

Should Malaysiakini and Gan be found to be in contempt, sentencing could be handed down on the same day. There is no legal limit to the penalties for contempt of court.

The Malaysian government's assault on press freedom continues. It seems our judiciary is still not fully independent yet thanks to PH's ineffectual and half-hearted reforms. Politicians affiliated with BN and PN, most notably former Sabah CM Musa Aman, have been acquitted and former PM Najib Razak is likely to be acquitted of any wrongdoing in the 1MDB scandal unless we throw out this stupid PN government. Meanwhile, opposition voices such as Hannah Yeoh have been subjected to official and legal harassment for making statements critical of the PN government. If Steven Gan is convicted, I will stop describing Malaysia as a democracy until or unless there is a change in government.

by **New Bremerton** » Mon Jul 13, 2020 11:43 am

Twicetagram and JYPE wrote:
New Bremerton wrote:You from Singapore?

Yea, I am from Singapore.

I wouldn't call Singapore a literal prison. While LKY was still alive and about as a politician, many people had respect for him and the PAP because of how they transformed SG from a third world country to first world. It was only now(or yesterday) that the opposition actually showed a larger chance of getting a seat in parliament.

I'd say PAP's dominance is driven because of our transformation. Then-PM LKY was the main driving force of Singapore's modernisation, and since he was also the founder of the PAP it's fair to say that a lot of people trusted in PAP then.

However, in recent years, with Goh Chok Tong/LHL taking over, people have started to question PAP's monopoly in the parliament. Some thought ut was rigged, and some of them thought that SGreans were too stubborn to vote PAP instead of the opposition.

Now that Singapore is a very successful country, the main point is to develop them as a standout nation like Scandinavia, Japan, Germany... There was no LKY or his gang to lead SG through the process, which has made people question the ruling party. Some decisions like banning e-scooters and chewing gum may have influenced new voters to vote someone else.

All in all, we will only see in the future whether PAP can hold on or not.

Speaking of election results, PAP still holds majority of the 93 seats, 4 more than 2015.

Workers Party, however, has now 10 seats, after securing Aljunied and Hougang. They also won at Sengkang. I mean, I've beard Jamus Lim is a good speaker, which may be a reason of WP's win.

I'll have to vote by the next election, so I'm now trying to study all of the political parties to see which one suits my views the most.

I just want to congratulate the WP on a job well done. Hopefully, this trend toward increasing public support for opposition parties and candidates eventually leads to a more genuine, liberal, multiparty democracy in the years to come, especially now that LKY is no longer around. It looks like LHL's plans to groom Heng Swee Keat as his successor have been put on hold given how narrowly he managed to scrape by in his re-election bid.

Are opposition politicians still being sued to bankruptcy and forced into exile for being unable to pay up, or is that increasingly a thing of the past now? Jeyaretnam and Chee Soon Juan have been put through hell from what I've heard. One video I watched involved Sylvia Lim attempting to debate and scrutinize the PAP on the floor of Parliament only to be repeatedly accused of poor conduct, low standards of propriety, etc. I also read on Wikipedia that Pritam Singh and his team were sued by a Town Council two years ago. Luckily they were able to crowdfund their way out of their legal woes.

Meanwhile in Malaysia...

'Gelap, bedak, undi' - Rocky start for Azhar as Dewan Rakyat speaker

PARLIAMENT | Newly minted Dewan Rakyat speaker Azhar Azizan Harun had a rocky first day.

For starters, no vote was taken when he was sworn in, on grounds that the opposition did not nominate another candidate in time.

Azhar was barely audible when he took his oath amid loud protests from the opposition bench.

"Who voted for this speaker? Who voted for this speaker? Where was the vote?" demanded Kasthuriraani Patto (DAP-Batu Kawan).

After taking his oath, Azhar sought to control the House, appealing to the MPs: "I request for some decorum. This is the Parliament."

This only sparked louder protests from the opposition and Shahidan Kassim (BN-Arau) nudged Azhar to turn off their microphones.

Azhar appeared to struggle with the buttons on his table and a Parliament staff member went over to guide him.

After gaining control of the mute button, Azhar began to deliver his maiden speech but struggled with persistent protests from the opposition who chanted, "Vote! Vote! Vote!" in unison.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank the MPs for appointing me as the speaker as well as the YBs who participated in this process but did not support me.

"Because by taking part in this process, you have nourished and spurred our practice of parliamentary democracy," Azhar said as the opposition MPs jeered.

He also quoted the late Perak ruler Sultan Azlan Shah's 1987 speech titled "Checks and balances in a constitutional democracy" but opposition MPs called out for him to take his own advice.

Azhar ejects MP eight minutes after swearing-in

A visibly frustrated Azhar later stopped his speech and asked Khalid Samad (Amanah-Shah Alam) to leave the House - his first ejection of an MP, only eight minutes after being sworn in.

After facilitating the appointment of Pengerang MP Azalina Othman Said as his new deputy, also without a vote, Azhar (photo) then proceeded with the debate of another motion tabled by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to replace members of the parliamentary selection committee.

Before the debate could commence, Kasthuriraani sought clarification on why the new selection committee line-up did not have any women.

Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim (BN-Baling) then interjected, saying: "Dark (gelap), can't see."

This prompted RSN Rayer (DAP-Jelutong) to demand Azeez to retract his statement.

Azeez rebutted: "I'm dark and can't be seen too. YB is dark too. Dark is not an issue."

"I did not say this particular YB or that particular YB is dark. I'm dark too. Just use powder (bedak), problem solved," Abdul Azeez added.

Dark and powder controversy

This only infuriated the opposition bench, including Nik Nazmi Nik Abdul Aziz (PKR-Setiawangsa), who demanded that Azhar order Azeez to retract his statement.

"You are the newly minted speaker. You must have some order. You cannot allow him to use such language," Rayer called out.

"He didn't just say I'm dark, he asked me to use powder," exclaimed Kasthuriraani.

Azhar ignored calls for a ruling on the matter and insisted on proceeding with debating the motion on the selection committee appointments as the opposition MPs continued protesting.

Azeez finally stood up and said: "It's okay, we are magnanimous and we want to continue with the order of business. I will retract it, I wasn't referring to her in the first place."

However, the opposition MPs demanded that Azhar should still make a ruling on the matter.

"Are you not the speaker of the House?" demanded Kasthuriraani.

Azhar maintained that there was no need to make a ruling as Azeez had retracted the comment.

As the stalemate continued with arguments from both sides, de facto Law Minister Takiyuddin Hassan (photo) stood up and declared that as MPs had no interest to debate the motion on the selection committee appointments, it should immediately go for a vote.

Azhar went along with this, despite protest from Mohamed Hanipa Maidin (Amanah-Sepang), who said: "What no debate? We're not there yet!"

Azhar then put the motion to a voice vote with the government bench saying "agree" while the opposition bench continued their futile protest.

Finally, Takiyuddin then tabled another motion to adjourn the sitting today, putting an end to the drama.

Azhar, a lawyer by training, was sworn in following the removal of former Court of Appeal judge Mohamad Ariff Md Yusoff as the Dewan Rakyat speaker earlier today.

Ariff's deputy Nga had resigned in solidarity before he could be removed. Azalina replaced Nga, making her the first female deputy speaker in the Dewan Rakyat.

After the sitting, Azhar held a press conference and promised he won't act controversially as the Dewan Rakyat speaker.

“People say that when I was appointed as the Election Committee (EC) it also became a controversy, but I did not act controversially (then) and I won’t act controversially here.

“We have the standing orders and I intend to follow it,” he said.

After his first day, Azhar said he does not regret accepting the offer as it is a “good experience”.

Asked about Kasthuriraani's complaint, Azhar said everyone is against sexist remarks but the particular comment by Azeez was open to interpretation.

“At the time, those who made it apologised and withdrew the remark, but I hope in the future, there will be no sexist remarks again in the Dewan," he said.

Nothing to see here on Day One of the first, full, parliamentary session since the undemocratic coup earlier this year. No racism. No cheating. No bias or controversy from a Speaker who was installed by PN before a vote was even held to confirm his position. Muhyiddin did manage to pass four motions to remove the former Speaker and Deputy Speaker and replace them with new, PN-friendly counterparts, indicating that he has the numbers to remain in power, but only just. Deputy Speaker Mohd Rashid Hasnon was appointed by Tun M but now appears to have switched sides. The guy was useless even during PH's time.

This page gives the current breakdown of seats by voting bloc and a list of all the defectors post-Sheraton. The page is updated regularly. As of writing, PN has 113 seats, PH 93, and Mahathir+WARISAN 16. 112 is required for a simple majority.

Given all that's transpired in HK and Malaysia, suddenly Singapore doesn't seem that bad, relatively speaking.

by **New Visayan Islands** » Mon Jul 13, 2020 6:54 pm

New Bremerton wrote:
Twicetagram and JYPE wrote:Yea, I am from Singapore.

I wouldn't call Singapore a literal prison. While LKY was still alive and about as a politician, many people had respect for him and the PAP because of how they transformed SG from a third world country to first world. It was only now(or yesterday) that the opposition actually showed a larger chance of getting a seat in parliament.

I'd say PAP's dominance is driven because of our transformation. Then-PM LKY was the main driving force of Singapore's modernisation, and since he was also the founder of the PAP it's fair to say that a lot of people trusted in PAP then.

However, in recent years, with Goh Chok Tong/LHL taking over, people have started to question PAP's monopoly in the parliament. Some thought ut was rigged, and some of them thought that SGreans were too stubborn to vote PAP instead of the opposition.

Now that Singapore is a very successful country, the main point is to develop them as a standout nation like Scandinavia, Japan, Germany... There was no LKY or his gang to lead SG through the process, which has made people question the ruling party. Some decisions like banning e-scooters and chewing gum may have influenced new voters to vote someone else.

All in all, we will only see in the future whether PAP can hold on or not.

Speaking of election results, PAP still holds majority of the 93 seats, 4 more than 2015.

Workers Party, however, has now 10 seats, after securing Aljunied and Hougang. They also won at Sengkang. I mean, I've beard Jamus Lim is a good speaker, which may be a reason of WP's win.

I'll have to vote by the next election, so I'm now trying to study all of the political parties to see which one suits my views the most.

I just want to congratulate the WP on a job well done. Hopefully, this trend toward increasing public support for opposition parties and candidates eventually leads to a more genuine, liberal, multiparty democracy in the years to come, especially now that LKY is no longer around. It looks like LHL's plans to groom Heng Swee Keat as his successor have been put on hold given how narrowly he managed to scrape by in his re-election bid.

Are opposition politicians still being sued to bankruptcy and forced into exile for being unable to pay up, or is that increasingly a thing of the past now? Jeyaretnam and Chee Soon Juan have been put through hell from what I've heard. One video I watched involved Sylvia Lim attempting to debate and scrutinize the PAP on the floor of Parliament only to be repeatedly accused of poor conduct, low standards of propriety, etc. I also read on Wikipedia that Pritam Singh and his team were sued by a Town Council two years ago. Luckily they were able to crowdfund their way out of their legal woes.

Friendly reminder that in terms of press freedom, LHL is right up there with totalitarian/authoritarian dictators, criminal cartels, and terrorist organizations.

Speaking of which, I wonder when RSF will include Duterte in said list...?

by **New Bremerton** » Sun Jul 19, 2020 5:26 am

Thai youth take to street in pro-democracy protest

BANGKOK: Thousands of mainly young and black-clad Thai protesters converged yesterday at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument as the city’s largest and rowdiest anti-government protest in years stretched deep into the night.

Thailand, a kingdom whose rambunctious politics is defined by coups and often deadly street protests, is facing an unprecedented economic shock due to the coronavirus pandemic.

With the economy in freefall, anger is boiling against a government stacked with elderly former generals and supporters of the royalist establishment.

The crowd of students sang vitriolic anti-government rap songs and waved placards denouncing the administration of former army chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha – and calling for the abolition of the Thailand’s strict royal defamation law.

“The government doesn’t care about us, so either we come out or we lose anyway,” said an 18-year-old student called Sang, giving one name only.

“The laws protect the rich and leave the people with nothing.”

Placards saying “end 112” were held up in a rare mass public opposition to a Thailand’s royal defamation law – the number a reference to the section of the criminal code it falls under – which protects the monarchy and its unassailable, super-rich King Maha Vajiralongkorn from criticism.

“We have to come out, we have nothing else left,” added Sang’s friend ‘Mee’, also wearing the black uniform of the protesters, which several said was borrowed from the pro-democracy protests that rocked Hong Kong last year.

As night fell, young protesters shined lights from camera phones as speakers railed against the crush on free expression led by a conservative government they say is holding Thailand back.

Earlier hundreds of police tried to block off access to the Democracy Monument, the concrete concourse of which was suddenly filled in with pot plants on Saturday afternoon.

Scuffles broke out as protesters tipped over metal barriers and forced their way through police lines to hold a noisy rally at the memorial, which was built to mark the 1932 revolution that established a constitutional monarchy.

Analysts say the kingdom risks slipping back towards absolutism under the reign of Rama X and the hardline royalist generals around him.

Yesterday’s protest could be the largest since the country’s 2014 coup, led by former army chief Prayut.

The years since have seen the economy cramp up, freedoms shrink under new laws and Prayut reinvent himself as an elected premier under a constitution the army drafted.

The pandemic has reinflated the pro-democracy movement.

Hundreds of thousands of students are expected to be jobless when they graduate in September, joining millions of middle class and poor in unemployment in a country with a threadbare welfare system.

Thailand’s previous tit-for-tat rounds of political street politics were led by pro- and anti-establishment veterans of the bear-pit of Thai politics, with large financial backing and political machines.

But leaders of the nascent student and youth movement say their activism is organised organically across social media, where anger fuels top trending daily Twitter hashtags against the government.

Thailand’s economy is forecast to lose up to 10 percent this year due to the pandemic which has floored tourism and exports, battering the middle and working classes.

A state of emergency brought in to control the virus remains in place across the country, even though Thailand has not recorded a locally transmitted case of the sickness in nearly two months.— AFP

These young people have been directly inspired by the protesters in HK to fight for their freedom. They also have a similarly low opinion of the CCP and stand very firmly with HK and Taiwan. I have a feeling Chan-ocha's days are numbered and the stupid, anti-free speech, lese majeste law will finally be overturned. I'm so proud of them. It would be really nice to have another real democracy (after Indonesia) as our next-door neighbor, minus the specter of ultra-conservative, fascist, radical Islamists and Malay supremacists holding the country back.

Liberate Thailand! Fight for Freedom! Revolution of our Times!

by **Imperial Majapahit** » Sun Jul 19, 2020 7:14 am

New Bremerton wrote:Thai youth take to street in pro-democracy protest

-snip-

Ah, good for them!

Anyways, is it actually possible to get rid of the lese majeste law entirely, though? I haven't delved that deep into Thai politics yet.

I feel like it's only natural, since straight-up insulting the head of state anywhere should be a crime. However, I do wish they'd somehow draft up an official definition for what acts constitute lese majeste, e.g. drawing a clear line between what may be considered an actual insult to the king, vs. what should be considered a mere form of criticism directed towards the government instead of the monarch.

Of course, if by that you mean deposing the monarchy entirely, it would be a much different story.

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