Kebebasan Akhbar atau Buta?

Saya copy and pastekan satu surat pembaca kepada editor Malaysiakini.com. Untuk bacaan dan penilaian kita.


Did you get your last copy of the Tribune?

Usman

Feb 10, 06 2:33pm

Your report The axe falls on Sarawak Tribune refers. The powers-that-be have yet again shown how far their arms can reach and how strong it can grip the minds of the public. That which should have been a decision of the newspaper’s management to ‘punish’ and make right themselves, was apparently not good enough for our friends at the Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN).

Market forces through its invisible hand should have punished the Tribune. The public could have boycotted the newspaper themselves. Newsstands could choose not to carry the Tribune. And yet again, Mr Noh Omar and his friends in Putrajaya have made it clear that they themselves should know better than the public. And so, yes, yet once more, the KDN will continue to strike fear amongst the mainstream presses (and those that depend on it for their licences) in that every single newspaper and media outlet should emulate Pravda. Please, do not get confused about this discussion with that of religion and freedom of speech. Since when did anyone have the right to declare that some subjects are taboo and sensitive and thus should not be discussed or mocked at? As irresponsible as the Danish press is and was, that was a right guaranteed by Danish and EU laws. We all can lecture them, and the other papers that carried the cartoons, for being insensitive and offensive. That was the Danish press' right, and that's your right to.

Every so often you have some artist that makes fun of Jesus Christ. Have you seen the Last Temptation of the Christ? And those other pieces of art mocking Christians figures? Do remember that first of all many Christians, especially the Protestants, also find it somewhat offensive to put up statues, drawings and images of Jesus. And what more a Jesus who was already mocked 2,000 years ago before being crucified, to be mocked today through what we call artistic freedom? This also applies to most other belief systems. The church and the Christians protest aloud. They probably demand their governments to ban those images. Did they set off a riot? How many Hollywood studios did they burn down? But do their governments listen to them? Should they? Every one has the valid, God-given and constitutionally guaranteed (depends on where you are) right to do or say anything offensive and stupid. If you disagree, should you protest? Yes, why not? That's your right. Should the Jyllands-Posten be condemned? That's your opinion. Should you ask the government to shut them up or anyone that reproduces the cartoons. No. The people will know how to exercise their rights to punish these recalcitrant outlets.

Who is the government, and Noh Omar and gang in particular, to decide what is right for the Malaysian media and public? How come the public has been denied the right to exercise their vote of no confidence on Sarawak Tribune themselves? When did the people of Sarawak delegate to Mr Noh Omar their proxy votes? From the looks of it, there is absolutely no hope for the BN-owned (or -linked, or -influenced) media. Every outlet has been programmed to brainwash the public into forming a pre-determined opinion. Any outlet that falls out of line gets punished. Treating us all like kids, as if none of us can decide for ourselves what is good or bad. So, go out and get your last copy of the Tribune.

Kata saya:

Saya rasa si Usman ni, kalau lah betul nama dia Usman, memang terang2 ada motif yang lain tentang suratnya ini kepada Malaysiakini.com. Untuk anda menilai sendiri apakah motif Usman dan Malaysiakini.com sebenarnya.

Untuk 'Usman' masyrakat Kristian telah lama melukis dan melakarkan rupa Jesus mereka didalam lukisan-lukisan mereka, dimana didalam Islam tidak boleh langsung kita melukis atau mengambarkan rupa Nabi Muhamand SAW. Lukisan-lukisan mereka juga yang telah menyebabkan merela di 'mock' oleh ramai orang diluar sana!