By understanding something doesn’t mean one agrees with or advocates decisions that will take us back to the dark ages. "National security" has been used by repressive regimes to commit the worst kinds of atrocities.
It does not help that when the whole populace is forging ahead, the administration tries to hold us back by controlling technology and the flow of information. It would be a frustrating attempt and even foolhardy to even try to curb information as people and technology will find a way to get that information across.
The government should continue to engage the people via traditional and print media. With the facilities at its disposal, it should be engaging the people to counter whatever untruths or "threats to national security" lurking in cyberspace.
One is sure that a fraction of the RM2,587,652,100 allotted this year to the Information, Communications and Culture Ministry can go a long way to "educate" the people and counter the lies, innuendos, allegations and "national security" matters that keep making the Internet a free for all.
There are indeed irresponsible individuals and groups who hide behind pseudonyms and email accounts who wreak havoc on people’s reputations and the nation’s as well. But seriously, as there are as many immature and reckless folk who post anything and everything, there are more discerning people who always take what they read online with a pinch of salt.
The government should stop skirting around the issue and tell us what its real concern is – alternative views which could be interpreted as political dissent, as well as information which may not be available locally.
By exercising maturity in addressing dissenting voices, the government would be doing itself a favour and endear itself to the populace, where the establishment demonstrates that it is capable of rational, cohesive and mature discourse.
Freeing up the flow of information will demonstrate that it is transparent, unafraid and unabashed by criticisms against it.
http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=56885
