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You might be scoring points for pointing out NST's mistakes. Yes, the NST has done and said some not so nice things about you, and that is your personal business, and I shall not comment on that.

It is a good thing to join in the chorus calling for NST's head, because in someway or another, Jalan Riong has always been the government's favourite child. We can now test how consistent and impartial the KDN is going to be.

But please be careful about this whole issue. A few days ago there was the whole Zam and the Western style press freedom thing. NST came out with a good diatribe to counter that. I had to agree with the NST's stand on the issue. Whether Kali, Hishamuddin or the whole of NST deserve to be called the bastions for Malaysian press freedom is another issue altogether though.

My point is, the NST, China Press, Guang Ming and Sarawak Tribune have all in someway made mistakes in one way or another. Some more serious mistakes than others. And yes, the NST does need to be taught a lesson.

But the thing is, the very fact that we are calling for "justice" to be meted on the NST is short sighted and just missing the whole point!

You see, the enemy is neither the NST nor the mainstream media.

The enemy is the culture of self-censorship, no balls reporting, editorializing, sensationalizing and abuse of agenda setting powers by the mainstream media, as epitomized in the English broadsheets by the NST and the Star. I would like to see the NST punished, for these. I myself (and other Malaysians) would like to punish the NST in our own ways. Not Zam. Not the KDN. Not the PPPA. Not anyone else.

At this moment in time, I don't think we want to destroy the Grand Old Lady. Instead, we should be calling for the repeal of such laws as the PPPA 1984.

Stupidly enough, NST and Sarawak Tribune have all shown how incapable the press is in being "responsible" such that the powers that be have no good reason to repeal them. And here we are, all calling for "justice" on the NST.

Right now, somewhere in Angkasapuri or Putrajaya, Zam is having a good laugh.

Why? We all, the people and the press, have become the pawns in his game. Congratulations Malaysia!

JEFF OOI says: There is a difference. When NST's "mistakes" were pointed out, and police reports lodged, its senior editors decided to act defiant and RE-PUBLISHED Feb 22 the caricature which it originally published Feb 20. Nobody pointed the gun and forced them to shoot themselves on the foot.

Personally, I am very disturbed ith the modus operandi at the mainstream media, especially those with dominant links to political parties, and their impact on governance in Malaysia. However, my commentary and analysis will only come after all things have settled. Let the law take its own course for now.

I am supporting action against NST. Let us form a webring posts of sorts in our respective blogs.

We have elevated ourselves to the level of God and the Prophets ie. beyond criticisms.

God save Malaysia.

By penalising NST, we're only propogating the "culture of self-censorship, no balls reporting, editorializing, sensationalizing and abuse of agenda setting powers", as someone else put it. It seems ironic that in the past we have railed against NST for being biased, one-sided, safe-reporting, and we are now encouraging (forcing?) them to go further down this very road. And all the other mainstream media in the country as well. If NST is penalised, we can wave goodbye to any vestige of humour, tolerance, open-mindedness, self criticism, self introspection, or indeed, FAIRNESS, this country ever had. The last squeak of defiance has been crushed by the elephant foot of public opinion and intolerance.

Farewell moderate free speech, hello totalitarianism and censorship (even more).

Let's be honest here- how offensive is the Non Sequitor cartoon when it doesn't even portray nor implies to portray the Prophet?

In fact, the cartoon doesn’t show Mohammad, Islam or Muslims in any bad light at all. It attempts to show how certain parties, who are so oblivious to the sensitivities of the provoked Muslim community, keep on adding salt to the wound. The cartoonist character in the Non Sequitor cartoon nonchalantly offers to draw cartoons of Mohammad while one waits represents the worst of those parties.

The cartoon is a satire, period.

While we blast the NST (who has never been a paper with balls, anyway), bear in mind that what we want is for the Government to stop telling us what we can or cannot read in our press.

Could not agree more with Sick Dog, hann, usman. Look at the result - look at what is likely to happen from now. Is this what we all really want ?

First....you either SUPPORT free speech or you DONT. you cant be a little pregnant.

Second....it seems that most Malaysians dont even understand the meaning of the cartoon. However it seems know if you combine two words, Caricature and Mohammed, it automatically means its INSENSITIVE.

Third....it seems Jeff backs free speech unless it comes to his adversaries. I wonder what Rebecca MacKinnon would say.

All these prove the point that Malaysia isnt ready for western style free speech and I dont think she ever will be.

I personally don't see why NST should give a show cause letter. There is no where in the cartoon that says that Mohammad refers to a particular Mohammad.

As much as I dislike the NST and all their abuses in the past, I am supporting their right to exist without government interference.

Please, let's all be sensible, reasonable and consistent. There is no such thing as a "bad" newspaper or "good" newspaper. There is however such things as "bad" and "good" journalism. And the NST, just like China Press et al does not deserve to be punished by the government.

We are all letting ourselves being leveraged by the evil-ones in the government.

Dear Jeff, if there is anything we want to punish the NST for, it isn't this. Yes, their modus operandi and spinning is questionable.

However, their defiance this time around should be commendable, because they probably are trying to exercise their right as a newspaper denied by the unjust laws. Perhaps we are witnessing a change of "mind" in the NST for the better, and why should we shoot down these "attempts"?

Dear Malaysians, don't be confused and confuse others.

I hate the NST for what it has stood for in the past. But in the spirit of Voltaire:

I may disagree with what you say but I will defend till death your right to say it.

Imagine something really bad/traumatising which cause so much anger happened to your friend recenty and he/she was just about to be over it and move on with his/her life.

Would you joke about it or say something that reminded him/her of her of the pain or would you excercise some restrain?

Some people may be able to take a joke but some may not and as a friend you normally won't try to joke about things that reminded them of something that is hurtful. You won't do it not because you don't have the right to do so or whether it is right or wrong to do so.

You don't do it because you do not want to hurt their feeling. It is what we learn growing up living together in a multi etnic country like malaysia.

Those that harp about western style free speech.

Do we really have to comform exactly to western style free speech? Or shouldnt we strive for one which incorporate more of our values of consideration to others.

You want to fight so that you can express your view about corruptions etc or whatever ill there is in the country, go ahead by all means everyone should have these rights to do so.

But trying to harp on the issue of freedom of speech by arguing that you have the right to put salt on a wound which is obviously still open is IMO a misguided bravado.

Yes everyone have the right to do that but that does not mean you must do it.

NST should not be punished because they publish the cartoon the first time but they should be more considerate by just appologising to those who felt insulted by the cartoon and explain their view instead of publishing it again and shoving it to everyone's face and say IT IS MY RIGHT TO POUR SALT INTO YOUR WOUND!!!!!

swee_ann_tweety's asking which Muhammad does the cartoon refer to is indeed a lame argument.

Given the current sentiment and the timing of the publication of that cartoon, which Muhammad do you think it refers to?

And by the way, do you know of any other Muhammad who is influential enough to cause the Muslims' rage?

If the cartoon was not intended to refer to other Muhammads, why don't the cartoonist use other names? That goes as far as to show insenstivity on the part of the cartoonist and the NST. Period.

Action should be taken against the NST so as to send a very clear signal. Otherwise it would be seen as a carte blanche by other mainstream media to blasphemise other religions too.

Nothing will happen to NST...in this country differing set of rules apply...eg some are made to squat..some not...some have their head shaven ..some not.

I hope to be proven wrong,..either the editor gets the sack for having the cheek to reproduce the cartoon despite the uproar..or suspend the paper for the same period as the other suspended papers.

So Home Minister...how?

what UMNO's Cyber Club Say:

Akhbar NST sudah mengetahui kartun Non Sequitur oleh Wiley Miller, yang diterbitkannya pada 20 Februari 2006 telah menjadi polemik yang agak kurang enak kepada sebahagian orang. Mungkin benar ia merupakan kartun yang terbuka kepada tafsiran yang boleh menjadi enak dan boleh pula menjadi negatif. Namun mengapa pengurusan NST mengambil keputusan untuk menyiarkan sekali lagi pada 22 Februari 2006 bersama dengan artikel yang mempertahankan penerbitannya dan juga menyerang orang lain yang memberi pandangan.

Jika pengurusan NST bijak tentulah ia sekadar menulis "NST memohon maaf jika kartun yang disiarkan pada 20 Februari 2006 lalu menimbulkan rasa kurang senang sebahagian masyarakat. Bukan niat kami untuk menyentuh sensitiviti mana-mana pihak atau agama. Kami amat kesal atas apa yang berlaku."

Malangnya seperti kata Datuk Zainuddin Maideen bahawa tindakan menyiarkan sekali lagi kartun yang menjadi kemarahan sesetengah pihak selepas penerbitan pertamanya pada 20 Februari lalu merupakan tindakan yang tidak bijak dan menjurus kepada provokasi.

Jika sidang editorial NST diuruskan oleh mereka yang memahami sensitiviti masyarakat Malaysia tentulah ia tidak akan berlarutan sebegini. Terpulanglah kepada pemegang saham NSTP, jika mereka gembira dengan situasi ini kerana ia akan terus melariskan akhbar maka kekalkanlah pengarang-pengarang yang tiada erti budi bahasa ini.

I can see someone smiling from ear to ear right now... and an opp. political party laughing whole-heartedly while riding on this donkey's back.

A Prophet of Islam has declared - "He who digs a pit for his brother, falls into it himself"

NST punished or not,
either way, we lose

Semua OK! God say main wayang and you stay and you will stay! Trust me! you will stay

All of us tend to think that we need to protect our rights for the press freedom, free speech. Thus we pity the NST for their fate. But do you know we ALREADY lost that freedom in Malaysia long time ago? So what is going to lose or make a different by suspending NST for a while?

If without Jeff to point out the truth for us, none of us would know what is really happening around us; because you can't trust a press company that is owned by political party to decide what get published, what's not.

Ask yourself did you ever read one article in our local newspaper that praise the opposition parties for doing a good job to the country? Never! You only learn how incompetent the opposition party is.

So wake up and look around you. Are you getting the correct information from the local press? Are those information biased? Are they trying to twist the story? If they are guilty, they should receive the appropriate punishment.

I didn't know the boss of NST is actually member of Umno (same structure goes to TheStar and so on). Damn, being a Malaysia, I ONLY knew this when I read Jeff's blog. I would darely say there are still 90% or more people out there have NO idea what is happening to our country. Where got press freedom like that?

arb_ok, try Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad for size. There are literally millions of person by the name of Mohammad in this world, now and before; so it could be any one of them.

YgArif ,Its" HE WHO DIGS A PIT FOR HIS BROTHER WILL HIMSELF FALL INTO IT" And the Prophet ZOROASTER also echoed that " HE AIN'T HEAVY,HE'S MY BROTHER !

I second usman's views completely; also hann's, a second time at Jeff's, the first at eralier post.

I think we;re giving grounds to "evil forces" as usman hinted -- the recently elevated Minister of Propaganda I guess is included? -- to cash in on this golden opportuinity to stick in the dagger. Yes, I fear a BP fate might be sealed like ST's Melanyi .. fall guys, remember?

A Chinese saying may be relevant here: "Borrow somebody's dagger to kill another..."?

Rebel,

You missed the entire point.

My question was which Muhammad is influential enough to cause the Muslims' rage? Got the point?

Not all Muslims know who Mahathir Mohamed is. BTW his name is Mahathir and Mohamed is his father, in case you plead ignorance.

My name can begin with Muhammad too but Muslims over the world won't get angry if the joke uses my name for I am not influential.

Which Muhammad do you honestly think the cartoon refers to, given the current sentiment?

only a show cause letter? sarawak tribune was suspended without even a show cause letter..! this is double standard..

"JEFF OOI said:Personally, I am very disturbed ith the modus operandi at the mainstream media, especially those with dominant links to political parties, and their impact on governance in Malaysia. However, my commentary and analysis will only come after all things have settled. Let the law take its own course for now."

Jeff, it is indeed an insult to the word "whistleblower" when you tried to call yourself one. In my books, you do NOT qualify to be a whistleblower.Far from it ....you are simply an INSTIGATOR. Do you know that you have just destroyed the years of good work in the NST to create a more open society and beter freedom for the press.Whatever the weaknesses and failings of our present PM, he will go down in history as the person who has opened the doors of freedom a little.But you, Jeff has slammed that door shut again with your pretentions and petty quarrels. You do not care about freedom of the press or anything remotely like it because all you care for is simply going on and on with your personal vendetta with NST and KMH and people who have crossed you.If those who read your blog do not get this feeling then most of them are pretty blind and not rational. It only shows how hypocritical you are.Indeed, he who digs a pit for his brother he himself will fall into it.Remember your karma.
So just stop stirring things up unnecessarily and ain't the hero that you think you are.

"JEFF OOI said:Personally, I am very disturbed ith the modus operandi at the mainstream media, especially those with dominant links to political parties, and their impact on governance in Malaysia. However, my commentary and analysis will only come after all things have settled. Let the law take its own course for now."

Jeff, it is indeed an insult to the word "whistleblower" when you tried to call yourself one. In my books, you do NOT qualify to be a whistleblower.Far from it ....you are simply an INSTIGATOR. Do you know that you have just destroyed the years of good work in the NST to create a more open society and beter freedom for the press.Whatever the weaknesses and failings of our present PM, he will go down in history as the person who has opened the doors of freedom a little.But you, Jeff has slammed that door shut again with your pretentions and petty quarrels. You do not care about freedom of the press or anything remotely like it because all you care for is simply going on and on with your personal vendetta with NST and KMH and people who have crossed you.If those who read your blog do not get this feeling then most of them are pretty blind and not rational. It only shows how hypocritical you are.Indeed, he who digs a pit for his brother he himself will fall into it.Remember your karma.
So just stop stirring things up unnecessarily and ain't the hero that you think you are.

Echoing art chan, with one word deleted and one word changed:

I hope to be proven wrong,.. the editor gets the sack for having the cheek to reproduce the cartoon despite the uproar.. AND suspend the paper for the same period as the other suspended papers.

Will someone please explain to me what they find so offensive about the cartoon? I've asked this in a previous post and got no answer. chrispeduck tried to explain above but his reason that you do not joke about something traumatic is weak at best. You use words like "trauma" and "pain" but I doubt that's really the case. If no one can explain why exactly this particular cartoon, Non Sequitur, by Wiley Miller, is offensive and insulting, then I come to the conclusion that all of you calling for NST's head are just jumping on the bandwagon. You're following the herd. You see those s***-stirrers PAS and the rest of them and you think, "oh my *** they've just insulted me. I want revenge." TELL ME WHAT IS SO OFFENSIVE. I'm sure the rest of us are dying to know.

hann, let say if your father name was in Wiley Miller cartoon, what u will feel about it? even if you dont understand what the meaning, could you let it be publishing publicly? And that's the meaning of pain.

But to how you would react, shout or silent? your choice..

tj,
That's a really lousy analogy. [ DELETED ] You haven't explained why the cartoon is offensive to YOU. How does it offend your delicate sensitive ears? Fourthly, even if my father's name were in the cartoon, and I felt insulted (for some bizarre reason), I wouldn't be marching on NST's offices, calling for the NST's head or making a big deal out of it. I have better things to do with my life. Fifthly, if my father's name WAS mentioned in a derogatory light, it would be a specific slur and thus my recourse would be to sue for slander. [ DELETED ] The cartoon is open to interpretation, and it seems most people have interpreted it the wrong way.

Anyone else want to give it a shot? I've been begging for a proper explanation of the offensiveness of the cartoon all throughout the saga, and no one has yet had a satisfactory answer. I mean honestly, if no one can tell me, then my conclusion above applies. Bandwagon jumpers, herd mentality, all the rest of it.

Censor,
You've just made my post virtually incomprehensible, by deleting all references to X. Maybe you'd like to reword what I just said, so that it's less "offensive"?