Screenshots

The response does not surprise me at all for variety of reasons.

Firstly, I do find that the cartoon strip was not offensive at all. It was in no way depicting the prophet mohammad. The satire was illustrating a potential cartoonist/artist intending to be popular by trying to draw the caricature of the Prophet. Would that be insulting to the Islamic Faith too?

I do admit that the issue was being played up by particularly certain parties for their political mileage. Sensationalising such trivial matter is immature and uncalled for. Though I have never particularly liked NST due to its political patronage, I do concur with the views held by the editors published several days ago.

Furthermore, NST has apologised unreservedly. Again, the decision does not surprise me at all as NST is owned by a GLC. Closing them down for even a day would incur huge losses. Though the decision not to prosecute NST is fair, it is indeed doing injustice to GuangMing and Sarawak tribune for they have never advocated the caricature by publishing it indirectly.

Well, UMNO Youth Chief weilds [ DELETED ] ...nothing happpens to him. UMNO Deputy President threatens [ DELETED ]... Nothing happens to him. UMNO big wigs accused for all and sundry.....nothing happens to them. I guess the lesson is that anything owned by UMNO do any wrong...also given same treatment...This is fair. Teach and show how and what fair means to our kids in schools now!

These are the political nonsense our local press and public are subjected to.

What does this indicate?

That Putrajaya is saying, "you can do whatever you want, just don't give us problems. You give us problems we are forced to take action. Please understand we are a goverment office, we like our free time, we don't like to have a lot of things to do. All that talk about monitoring the press is only to make the tax-payers happy. But we don't actually do anything about it until some fanatics make noise about it. Thank you for publishing the apology, we can now go back to our regular tea-time schedule."

QUESTION: Why didn't they make the Sarawak Tribune and Guang Zhou apologise and be done with it?

So Jeff is NST's so called case against you also closed?

Thank you Pak Lah...
NST, please learn something from this episode.

Jeff, thank you for this space... and good luck to you... sincerely wishing you a very good luck.

Justice has been done. NST didn't deserve to be punished in this case, and they haven't been. And for the last time people, Jeff has NOT confirmed the police report, so let's NOT JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS. Thank you.

Maybe we can move on to things more important than a couple of drawings? Avian flu and terrorism are pretty big nowadays...

Apology is admission of guilt.... therefore Jeff is right for bringing up this issue and consequently NST publishes apology. I do not see the logic or rationality in NST lodging a police report. Ever seen anyone slapping themselves in their face? Now you do!

I said many times before..nothing will happen..

The govt should have just closed the case the moment it surfaced..all this things happening the last few days..is just the usual wayang...make a lot of noise...and let the issue die quietly.

I love politics

I do agree with the decision not to take action against NST. To me the word "Muhammad" not always refer to "Prophet Muhammad".

What the muslims are doing now is to extrapolate the word "Muhammad" to mean "Prophet Muhammad".

didn't UMNO meant U Must Not Object? not surprised there...

Time to retreat.

I'm neither sad nor happy about NST but my sadness goes out to Tribune. I don't believe in eye for eye but the decision is bias to NST. If this blog gets what was threatened to it then we don't need luck anymore as someone wished for Jeff but something else. Some of you felt sympathy for NST which already has enough defences but sadly where Tribune is concerned, you CHOSE to close one eye. We are called to defend the helpless and weak irrespective of bangsa. I cannot say more but I know what to do in 2009.

Technically, it is still double-standards.

Honestly, if we would want to continue blogging or expressing our views (in peace) in this country, we have to accept this type of fate ie. just like the fate of those who are born to rich family and those who are born to poor family..

Jeff did not starts the blog topic if is not published by the media. He just follow the issue, capturing from all point of views, monitor over the situations, and updates in his blogs.

Jeff is just a little mice if to compare NST a giant size elephant. There's never in a history a mice over throw a giant elephant.

With this, there's some light shine on Sarawak Tribune for a re-born.

Kudus to all of you, who have contributed to screenshots comment column, attracts only minority English reading e-generation from all Malaysian, no treats to others generally except to Balai Berita in Jalan Riong.

Can two (2) Aun(s) shake hands from day now?

“It is undeniable that all incidents of oppression and social injustice are the result of inequality between man and man. Some are powerful,others are weak. Some are rich, others are poor. Now what happens is that the powerful and the wealthy come to regard themselves as being superior to the weak and the poor. They imagine they can oppress others with impunity, their elevated positions being enough to safeguard them from any attempt at retaliation.

Being a non-muslim,pls allow me to say this -"Islam tells us that every man's fate is the concern of God. All moral issues are finally to be judged in the divine court. God being infinitely more powerful than all of the powerful men in the world. He will pronounce His verdict and enforce it with absolute justice towards one and all. At that time no mortal creature will be able to escape God's verdict.” Subject is CLOSED, Peace on Earth and Goodwill to all Men.

big sigh...

And NST can keep saying they are practice journalism when they are in the state of "Yellow journalism".

Afterall, the crowd deserved paper they asked for : paper that practice yellow journalism.

in case you still don't understand why,

let me tell you:

"Welcome to Malaysia"

Apology from NST acceptable. Apology from Sarawak Tribune not good enough!

For future reference, can the Prime Minister please let us, your humble citizens, know exactly how and in what form apologies should be made so that it will be accepted and the humbled can also be treated like how you treat The NST!

malaysia boleh!

suka suka malaysia suspend yang tidak suka.

suka suka malaysia does not suspend (or even take action) yang suka.

welcome to bolehland!

not that we want NST to be penalised but why dont the govt undo what it has done to ST and Guanming? As usual the govt goes after the small fry and let the big fish off the hook. Our leader is inconsistent. WAwasan 2020 might as well be a joke. We are still light years behind the rest.

I have always hoped that Pak Lah will bring changes to the Government. But, enough is enough. I'm giving up hope at this moment.

"Here's Jeff Ooi signing off. Good-bye and good luck."

Is Jeff Ooi quiting or giving up blogging?

NST's response to this whole issue was spot on. I appreciated the editors' candour in writing about the politically-motivated attacks on the newspaper over a cartoon that (now it seems) many did not find offensive. What offends me is the back-patting and the high-fiving of some serious deluded folks - who may thought they were doing the world a favour by by stirring up a storm in a teacup. In the end, they're exposed - petty, vindictive and dubious.
We need discourse in this country - not conspiracy theories.

Cempedak fruit outside the gate,
Take a stick and ram it down,
Come on people theres nothing to be said,
No matter what, NST will forever be around!

Some people still think that the cartoon is not referring to the controversial caricature which draws so many protests worldwide and should not be punished. Kuku or wat? One glance and you know it’s mocking the incident and to make matter worse, they reproduce it again after local protest.

NST get off the hook big time here. Because they are trying to get more people involve, the official, RTM etc. But they didn’t do the same thing when Guang Ming or ST got into trouble. This is the totally different NST I know of… They can boycott Danish product, we can also boycott this newspaper.

Zaryl, good pantun...

too bad Jeff Ooi is non-BorneoN person...that all i can describe the fate of Tribune here...

Jeff..maybe you can try Karam Singh Walia to defend you..since his cv has been impressive..govt especially majlis perbandaran is afraid of him. Hope you will not be charged for anything...good luck man.

zaryl...it is not for you to hope that Jeff is not charged. NST has made a report..so we see who pull the string strongest.....if they want to let things die..nothing will happen..maybe NST will want to do tit for tat...NST will cucuk and goring the issues..like lucia said..welcome to bolehland

I think this is a very clear message from the UMNO-led government to the opponents...with UMNO behind you, you can always get away with murder.

Jeff

If your foe has not fallen, it does not mean you are beaten.

Victory is not to “hentam” your foe until he dies, but to “hentam” him until he slips up, breaks under pressure, and reveals his true self.

Whether he dies or not, leave it up to God. We shall not dirty our hands.

In this respect, you have won.

The true character of NST is exposed in the way it behaves. Just evaluate the manner it writes in “We apologise, unreservedly” dated Feb 24.

I do not know YB Zainuddin, but is it professional and acceptable for a “respected” institution like NST to write things like “Zainuddin’s RTM”?

Are adults of today capable of educating the young?

Now, I should stop subscribing to NST!!!

I am glad NST is not punished.

In all fairness, the government should apologise to Guang Ming.

That, I think, is the correct conclusion to this farce.

ngagai AAB ngau balanya bak parlimen: tahun tuk medak manyuh hal ndak dijaga manah. dituk aku ngangau nuan sama baka uduk laban kitak bak parlimen diak ngagak kami orang bak sarawak dituk baka orang belik. suspen ST, GM tapi nak ngagak utai ke sama maya berdepan ngau NST,TV3 & TV2. kati kitak nganggau pengagak tuk? double standart? dituk aku tak madah bala kitak bak sarawak dituk, ari dulu sidak bala laut bak semenanjung diak nadai medak kita org sarawak beradab. sidak kumai kitak agaik diau bak phon kayuk ,dalam hutan . dituk aku kak madah sidak nya, kitai org borneo dituk idup amat manah antik berlaban ngau sidak bak semenanjung. maya kitai ngangak salah, sidaknya ngasuh ST baduk gawak tapi maya hal yang sama berlaku ngau NST sidak nadai olih jako ngau suspen NST. laban NST idup under kaki aab ngau balanya bak parlimen. tahun tuk medak nadai wakil kitai ari sarawak bak parlimen. sidak nya agi happy. ari tuk aku tauk madah.. sidaknya nadai medak kitai org manah, laban dalam ati sidaknya kak makai suap aja. ak arap taun tuk kitai anang ngundi BN .....laban bn nadai jaga org kitai ngua manah. asuh taib turun, JABU TIKEK!!!

Two Three Cat Are Running ,
Where Got Same The Striped Cat,
Why Lah Some Of Us Still Whining,
Just Shut Up And Go Back.

Now let's call for the repeal of the PPPA and let's pressure the Government to lift the suspensions and previous punishments meted on Guang Ming, China Press and Sarawak Tribune.

Pandan Island far in the middle,
Daik Mountain branches in three,
What didn's happen to NST is not a RIDDLE,
We knew they'd be set Free.

Does anyone here know Kali ?,
Not the mullah but the Wali,
Kan aku dah cakap berkali kali
NST "Walking Tall" Lagi.

Yes, I join usman in calling for a repeal of PPPA 1984 as well as ISA, and "reasonable" use of the OSA only as far as "state secrets" pertaining to the nation's secuirty is concerned.
But with some 2million of "illegals" in the country, and the Gomen still thinks our country is "not" facing a security situation in this area but more lurking among Opposition, NGO and some "nebulous" citizens somewhere, I think the Govt's notion of security and that of an ordinary citizen like me diverges too widely.

and a note to Jeff: don't look at NST's getting off scot free as a "game lost", but a small "victory" for Press freedom which is already under a lot of siege that past few decades!

"Ut sit magna, tamen certe lenta ira deorum est "

Like I said in my blog, if anyone would to be blamed and suspended, this, this and this should be the ones instead. No Press Chain Reaction (PCR) or witch-hunt, if you like should happen in the first place.

It's the 'chicken and egg' thing again...

I believe the eventual outcome from this whole fiasco has left a strong element of fears among the media world, conscious or subconsciously.

It's somewhat obvious that the general lesson everyone (me, you, media, editor) will ever likely to learn from this is: if you're not sure, don’t say/write about it.

Now I'm not too sure whether that's something to be considered as healthy, or should be encouraged....

(sorry if my generalization went over the hill, but honestly I'm scared. The grey line between thought provoking arguments/witty, dark humor and offensive trolls or in this matter, insensitive, condemning statements has, I afraid, just gotten thinner and thinner.) I would be glad to hear someone arguing otherwise, though.