Bloggers get Reprieve from UMNO!

Bloggers received a reprieve! Wow, so nice of Hishamuddin!

Blogs are recognised as an information reality. Umno Youth chief Hishammuddin said that such openness in the age of information technology cannot be stopped. This, he said, meant that the public was exposed to a whole lot of information choices, including blogs.

“The community of bloggers is very active in our country today and I believe that many of them are quite responsible and give high quality information.

“Such (contributions to the country’s) development should be looked at positively, as part of the democratisation of information in the world and of cyberspace.

“For the younger generation, blogs are part and parcel of their current day lifestyle...,” Hishamuddin said in his policy speech at the Umno Youth assembly.

Hishammuddin said that even though this phenomenon was good for the country’s development, with freedom comes responsibility. “Freedom must steer (viewers) towards a maturity of our Malaysian society. Freedom is not absolute. It is not a licence to lash out, ridicule, slander or belittle others. “The openness of the Government should not be used as an excuse to use the cyber media to sprout lies and to instigate," he said.

Wanita Umno chief Rafidah Aziz warned that “the main challenge facing us as parents is balancing the good and the bad elements that are now easily accessible through the Internet. “We do not want the openness made possible by the latest technology being misused by irresponsible groups to spread chauvinistic messages,” she said in her policy speech. She said that the minority should not be allowed to hijack democracy, by trying to do things that could jeopardise the interest of the majority.

The Puteri Umno movement was concerned that abuse of the ICT would have negative implications towards freedom of religion, political stability and racial unity. Movement chief Noraini Ahmad said that under the banner of freedom, irresponsible bloggers would slander, lie, use abusive and vulgar words, and incite racial tension among its readers. “No matter how much the freedom, the users must be responsible and work along strong ethical lines,” she said, adding that close monitoring of website operators and bloggers were necessary to ensure the society would not be influenced by negativity.

Is this an epiphany or ephemeral? This surely is the sign of an election soon... If the above message isn't strong enough, there is another below...

Youth deputy chief Khairy said UMNO is not a racist party and the Malay agenda, which forms the crux of its struggles, is not a racist agenda.

Is he saying that being racial isn't racist? What then is racist? The dictionary explains: "Racist is a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race." (You can also check here)

Barisan Nasional is basically a composition of parties based on racial divide, in particular, UMNO, MCA and MIC. Each party tries to defend it's own race and religion. BN is more of a marriage of convenience, to protect the interest of the bourgeoisie and to use the superstructure to clamp down on the substructure, the proletariat.

If UMNO is not racist, why is it that the agenda for their general assembly is purely and absolutely racial, that is, they only discuss and demand the rights, or any rights they deemed they desire, only for one race? This also happens in MCA and MIC general assemblies. At such, all of these parties are racists.

But when election time comes, the citizen can have some air of relief from the constant suffocating political diatribes. "Lets be tolerant", says Pak Lah. Umno members need to tread carefully when raising religious issues during the general assembly – this was party president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s advice at a closed-door briefing to the delegates ahead of the Puteri, Wanita and Umno Youth meetings today. He also reminded them to practise religious tolerance and “not to speak in anger” when raising religious issues.

Joceline Tan captured their moods, when she wrote: "Party has all to gain by being nice"

According to Joceline, "At this year’s assembly, Umno Youth members have nothing to lose from behaving themselves, putting their best foot forward and winning back friends and support from outside the party. A YEAR is a long time in politics and it is evident Umno has taken stock of the repercussions from last year’s assembly. Restraint and decorum were the order of the day at the Umno Youth assembly yesterday."

"Hishammuddin was a model of decorum compared to last year when he had been widely photographed with mouth wide open and eyes alight with fire as he held up the keris. The organisers had obviously made a calculated decision to downplay the keris ceremony."

"The Wanita wing even took the surprising step of presenting study awards to three non-Malay students, something not done before. It is no secret by now that speakers at this year’s gathering have been told to avoid language that could hurt the sensitivities of the other ethnic groups."

When did the wolves decided to be vegetarians? If UMNO is sincere and if its core ideology and principles are based on tolerance for all the Malaysians, for the society as a whole, then they do not need a party based on racial lines; they should become a multi-racial party, a party representing all Malaysians, everyone who is a Malaysian. For as long as they tread on racial lines, there will not be a Malaysia for Malaysians.