Screenshots

Jeff,

Few of us following your blog did notice your blog is quieter than usual for sometime. But tell me who didn't suffer for speaking without fear and favour.

I am not in the position to encourage you to mellow down or speakup because in the end how many of we readers willing to share the burden with you. I am a coward as you should understand why I am writing anonymously Littlebird therefore my advice would be meaningless.

You have done a lot good for Malaysia. I am sure TM NET should thank you. Maxis would have learnt not take customers to be idiots. Editors not to write what others wrote..etc..etc.

You have done a good job and may the future bring you more joy in giving you what you want.

Happy New Year.

Littlebird

That cartoon which NST ran, imo, does not mock Prophet Mohammad, it mocks the *violent* backlash by some Muslims over the Dutch cartoons published earlier. I think you're letting your feud with some people in NST cloud your judgement, when an opportunity presented itself to attack NST, you went for it. :-)

JEFF OOI says: Not really. Every Group Editor-in-Chief has his self-life. They sit on the editorial guillotine on borrowed time. They are hence too insignificant for me to pick a fight with.

Editors come editors go in The NST, and the casualties are high in there. I don't have to fight them as they, as the record shows, will ultimately self-inflict their own fatal wounds, and become history. What matters are how The NST, since 2004, has degraded itself to news-slanting once too many, what more with the alleged LIAR and PLAGIARIST, and NST insiders and ex-staffers themselves can live to testify.

If we pride ourselves as the subjects of Knowledge Generation, then we can't tolerate this to happen to fool dull minds. That's what I fight against, primarily. Yes, it's the larger picture you failed to see.

Jeff I didn't know. This the price we pay for truth and passion?
I've been there before when contracts and politics with hollow companies and manouevres above our heads.

How many more Malaysians does it take , when our zestiest and brightest are marginalised?

Something has gotta give and I mean now.

We need an alternative of the best of Malaysian minds for this new century, for us to endure and progress.

What can we do?

Jeff, I am not suggesting that this ("THINKING ALLOWED, THINKING ALOUD.") is not original cos' there is such thing as coincidence but i am very sure you are not the first to use this phrase...care to clarify?

As for the price we pay for truth, I cant help but agree with an earlier post that it is relative and as someone great once said, lies told often enough WILL become truth...

Jeff, I am not suggesting that this ("THINKING ALLOWED, THINKING ALOUD.") is not original cos' there is such thing as coincidence but i am very sure you are not the first to use this phrase...care to clarify?

JEFF OOI says: I will delighted if you could point me to the source where these FOUR words are originally strung together, and put to practice. Thanks.

As for the price we pay for truth, I cant help but agree with an earlier post that it is relative and as someone great once said, lies told often enough WILL become truth...

How come all the text are centralised? (as opposed to left or right justified).

Anyway, this may just work:

*
A
Merry
Christmas
and may the
New Year bring
you and your loved ones
Health, Prosperity & Happiness

Jeff,
you have struck a cord with Malaysians of all races for the need to speak up on issues that matters and affects our citizens and country, a new medium to express our views as the socalled press in Malaysia is only serving the interests of vested interests and an absolute disgrace.
It takes a very keen observer to spot such issues as you do and bring it to peoples's attention and you have done a great job in this respect.It takes lots of courage to go about the way you are doing and many of us are unable to do that including yours truely for reasons we cannot divulge, the situation in our country being what it is.
Carry on Jeff.
A very happy and rewarding new year to you, your family and fellow bloggers.

You had a tough year, Jeff. Hope you have better ones in the future, and further your goal in the fight for the Bangsa Malaysia ideal.

On the name of your blog, well, does it actually matter?

"After all, we are celebrating the 50th Anniversary as an Independent Nation in 2007, aren't we?"

That would mean MALAYSIA was formed in 1957. I was taught that it was MALAYA that achieved independence in 1957 while MALAYSIA was only created in 1963.

Am I wrong?

JEFF OOI says: Malaya and Malaysia are one. From a Toyota Corolla to Toyota Camry, it's still Toyota. Malaya has grown into Malaysia, and without Malaya there won't be a Malaysia. Malaya is for the romantics who wanted the country bonzai-ed in its old mold, whereas Malaysia is for those who want to continue re-inventing themselves to move on. So, stop the divisiveness, and consider 1957 as the year this country was born before it was enlarged. Similarly, the USA did not start with 50 states while Russia did not end with the breaking up of the Soviet Union.

"Violent wave... hasn't swept Malaysia and Indonesia". With malaysia yes i agree but I beg to differ in the case of indonesia. Has the writer of the piece heard about the massacre of the Christian population in Aceh??? What happened to JI?

Keep up the good work Jeff

cic_lemur,
What are you talking about? The whole incidents is about questioning the authority double standard on NSTP vs Sarawak Tribute,etc.

Press freedom? Your statement is making me rolling on the floor laughing :
Should NST talk about press freedom, they should have pointed out the STUPIDITY of issue, let alone QUESTION the ministry action closing the 2 press that public the cartoon. Did NST did that? No! The editor just sit and watch the stick impact on those 2 paper.

On the other hand , NST say nothing about their stand nor did they condemn the zealots response over the cartoon, they choose to bow over the stupidity.

desparil,

correct! that's when Sabah Sarawak and Singapore joined in, thus forming Malaysia.

another common misconception spread by the government which pisses off a certain Sarawakian I know...

Jeff, cant remember the title but am quite sure it was a song in the 80's...

i observe that errors (shelf-life, u mean?)are beginning to creep into your writing...stress perhaps...i agree with cic_lemur that you seem to have let you personal sentiments cloud your objectivity / judgment at times BUT I think this is not a sin but an illustration that our views can be subjective despite claims to the contrary...at the end of the day, what you say is NOT important, what I think you say is....& i truly subscribe to this - "doing the right thing is not the same as doing the right thing the right way"...

Merry Christmas and a fruitful and healthy 2007 to you, Jeff and your family and all bloggers.

Was watching "Hitler - The Rise of Evil" DVD couple of weeks ago and this caught my eyes:

The only thing necessary for the thriumph of evil is for the good men to do nothing - Edmund Burke (1729 -97)

Histories have taught us that suppression of well-intended critics never benefit the suppressors. Hitler, Saddam, and countless others are good evidences.

I admire your courage, Jeff. It's not always easy to criticize people with ill intentions especially those in power. Do keep in mind that there are many ways to expose them, if necessary. You serves the country and the communities well so far.

Encik Jeff Ooi,

Saya ucapkan Selamat Tahun Baru kepada saudara. Semoga usaha murni saudara di arena "blogging" dapat menggalakan lagi masyarakat khususnya rakyat Malaysia untuk lebih berperihatin degan isu isu semasa. Harapan saya untuk tahun baru ini adalah untuk melihat lebih komentar yang datang dari pihak pihak tertentu lebih lebih lagi dari kalangan ahli politik, tokoh korporat & pemberita mainstream untuk mengambil bahagian di Screenshots. Jikalau tidak, hanya littlebird dan kawan kawan sahaja yang bersuara :)

[jeff wrote]
...What matters are how The NST, since 2004, has degraded itself to news-slanting once too many, what more with the alleged LIAR and PLAGIARIST, and NST insiders and ex-staffers themselves can live to testify.

If we pride ourselves as the subjects of Knowledge Generation, then we can't tolerate this to happen to fool dull minds. That's what I fight against, primarily. Yes, it's the larger picture you failed to see.
[/jeff]

My contestation is primarily about the cartoon which NST published, and that it in no way mocks Propet Mohammed. It mocks the way how some Muslims reacted violently to the Danish cartoons. What you said about some of the NST staff, however true it may be, is not my point. What ultimately happened was, the truth was hijacked and turned into an invented accusation, to create public outrage which was used to attack the victims. And I don't like to see stuff like these happening, either to large press or lone bloggers.

JEFF OOI says: Truth? And 'hijacked' truth? Only when facts collide shall truth prevail.

there was a discussion on whether Jeff Ooi is really patriotic or he is just a guy who gather bad news about Malaysia (government, companies etc.) and put it on his blog.

this post cleared the discussion.
Looks like you have been hit by media and made sacrifices to contribute to our country. We need more Malaysians like you.

merry xmas and happy new year.
2007 will be a better year (hopefully)

Jeff,
Congratulations! You are the Time magazine "Person of the Year." The annual honor for 2006 went to each and every one of us - citizens of the new digital democracy, as the magazine put it “anyone using or creating content on the World Wide Web”
When you find joy and fun in whatever you are doing, you are your natural self and using your natural abilities. When you use your abilities out of responsibility (being paid) you distort them. You work (help) because you think you should, not because it is a joyful part of your being. And you begin to question, “Who needs my help most?
Who has that time and that energy and that passion in Malaysia “to blog about my state of mind or the state of the nation”? The answer is, you do. And for seizing the “reins of the global media… framing the new digital democracy, for working for nothing and beating the pros at their own game”.
The new media age of Web 2.0 is threatening only “if you believe that an excess of democracy is the road to anarchy. Journalists once had the exclusive province of taking people to places they'd never been”. But blogs and videos now bring events to the rest of us in ways “that are often more immediate and authentic than traditional media”.
For a preview of Time’s nomination and an understanding of “Who you are?” check at:
http://powerpresent.blogspot.com/2006/12/time-magazine-2006-person-of-year.html

Jeff,

Happy New Year, and may 2007 will be THE YEAR where more and more Malaysian gets a deeper insight of wats happening, instead bein spoonfed by poo for de past "3 magnifecent years".....

I dont see any harm in SPEAKING ALOUD where SPeaking is Allowed....

at least uve got de balls to say wat u think is right....

unlike some one-eyed uncles, wig wearing toll booth annee, some keris weilding cry baby and rempit loving rascist....,

we speak out of luv to the country (hujan batu pun batu la...!)...not for becuz of some personal agenda "perks"...

-

[jeff wrote]
Truth? And 'hijacked' truth? Only when facts collide shall truth prevail.
[/jeff]

Yes the truth, which is obvious: the cartoon does not mock Prophet Mohammad,
unless you can mount a persuasive argument against it.

Yes, the truth was hijacked and represented as if the cartoon mocked Prophet Mohammad.

JEFF OOI says: This is best left to the relevant believer of the religion to deliberate it, as some feel strongly against it, some condone it and some just remain neutral and non-committal. Bloggers just gave it a context, and the readers will discern it to the best of their ability. But to pre-judge and hurl accusations against a blogger, the way The NST did -- is something else. It's morally decadent.

Facts don't collide, they complement each other to elucidate truth.

JEFF OOI says: Facts do collide. People often get disillusioned with facts, mistaken as relative truth when facts are sometimes fabricated or fragmented. Facts are also emergent in a work-in-progress mode which may take decades to be pieced together, more so when OSA is hard at work. When these facts finally collide, truth prevails without having to complement each other.

PS. Don't ban me coz I'm arguing so much, it's my nature I guess. I do appreciate your efforts in speaking up against mainstream press, and hope you keep up with it.

Jeff,

We truly admire your perseverance, courage and endurance. We hope you will continue to blog for many years to come. You are one of the reasons why we all continue to work hard for the better future of this country when packing up and head down south seems like an attractive proposition. We all love this country and your trip to Terengganu last week should have enforced yours. Let's keep fighting for this country. This is our country and don't let a few traitors take it away from us. You are our sounding board, the silent majority.

This is best left to the relevant believer of the religion to deliberate it....

Ok, I realise that this is a sensitive issue, I'm anonymous, you are not. I wouldn't want to give your detractors more ammuniation against you, so I'm resting this matter.

....When these facts finally collide,...

I guess this is just a terminology issue, for me the term collision means the end result is a mess, not enlightenment, I prefer the terms comes together, convergence, complement

With respect to some point of view in this thread on truth being relative and lies repeated often enough will become truth, this is not so.

There is the absolute truth, what really happened. Then there is lies, opinions of what really happened, accepted 'truths', false believe. Even if nobody knows the absolute truth, that doesn't mean it invalidates the existence of an absolute truth, and render what is held by the majority to be right as the truth.

Lies repeated often enough remains just that - lies, even if the masses are fooled. We should not accept truth being relative and hide behind them, and feel vindicated of our own jaundiced views, we should seek out the truth, the absolute truth, and accept it for whatever it is.

What I'm sayin is there is no moral superiority in hiding behind our relative truths and attacking others who hide behind theirs.

A Corolla & Camry are both Toyotas, but you’re talking about 2 different cars. Just like Malaya & Malaysia are 2 different entities. Just like the current UMNO and the one pre-1987.

The USA did not start with 50 states but each time a new state was added, they didn’t change the name. Each new state agreed to join the existing federation and abide by its constitution. The situation is not the same with us as 3 different states all agreed to join together and form a NEW country.

If Malaysia is indeed a Malaya enlarged, then the situation is akin to that of the USA. However, it is not. Ours was an agreement between 3 different entities to merge into one new entity. It was not an invasion by Malaya. The people of Sabah & Sarawak chose to join hands with us in the Peninsula. And correct me if I’m wrong but they joined us as equals.

To call Malaya & Malaysia one and the same seems to me a disrespect to our brothers from East Malaysia. It’s like saying they are insignificant compared to us Semenanjung folk. The people of East Malaysia are our fellow citizens. How can we treat them as if they don’t matter? How can we treat them as an afterthought? It is this attitude that promotes divisiveness between us.

No matter how anybody want to spin it, the fact remains that Malaysia only came into existence in 1963 and next year she’ll be 44 years old. Not 50. It may seem like a trivial matter to you but just imagine you getting your wife’s birthday wrong. Will it be ‘Semuanya OK’? Now imagine that not only you got her birthday wrong BUT you got her pegged as 6 years older.

JEFF OOI says: A Toyota, Corolla or Camry, is an analogy for a vehicle that takes you places, moving forward. You don't drive by keeping to look into the rear mirror. The mirror reflects the past and if you keep looking back and forget what lies ahead, you are doomed for a collision, a train-wreck.

Don't waste time drooling. We need to move forward. A 50-year old Malaya or 44 year old Malaysia makes no difference if the country's components bury their differences to thrive on commonalities. Upon the 1957 Independence, the Malay States and the non-Federated Malay states agreed -- no different from the 2+1-1 states joining them in 1963 -- that they wanted to share the common destiny. When Sabah and Sarawak joined Peninsular states, they have agreed to adhere to having the same Agong and the Prime Minister who leads the Federal Government. It's the same country, Malaya or Malaysia. But getting liberated from the colonial control in 1957 signifies the birth of an Independent nation. You can't turn around and say 1957-1963 was no man's land in history and that Malaysia is a new nation. There's no Malaysia without Malaya, and Malaya was historically born in 1957.

The correct attitude is to ask how has Sabah and Sarawak benefitted from the enlarged Malaya. If they have not, fight for it now the democracy way. Whether Malaya/Malaysia is 44 or 50 years old will not change the plight of the late-comers to this enlarged country if you keep drooling on a non-issue.

Blogging changes everything; anyone can write from anywhere and everything can be archived by everyone. This creates independent reference points. Furthermore, diverging and converging opinions help forge better informed positions which can then result in better decisions, actions and directions. In a modern government setting, these roles cannot be underrated.
A really progressive government will see that these roles actually complement and supplement better governance.

Unfortunately, this government wants the cake and eat it. It appears to open up blogspheres but then unsheathes threats. The reason it uses is that you can't have complete transparency so as not to ruffle racial sensitivities in a plural setting (http://tinyurl.com/vfbsf), forgetting that blog comments are seldom invented independent of what has actually happened in governance. Only because things have been said or done which rankle the rakyat would blogging comments come to the fore that have substance. So far , the rakyat have only reacted to abuses of power, poor displays of foresight, weak governance and implementations saddled with inefficiencies and personal agendas which threaten the very racial sensitivities which the govt wants to reduce. Which true government can argue that these are not the things which should be reduced in any modern state? Therefore if govts go against bloggers, they go against what they themselves preach but don't want practised by anyone except by themselves and only in accordance with their own definitions of what should be achieved and how it should be done. Is this not hypocrisy?

While the linked article above shows that Badawi's thought processes are suspect, Najib's invitation to the press to provide criticism is also suspect. How can anyone under the control of his employer criticise to the whole world against the interest of his employer? Unless the employer says that the employee is allowed to critcise without fear or favour, nothing much will come out of that apparent gesture. In the minds of the rakyat, it will only remain at best an empty gesture.

It's therefore a fait accompli situation for the future of informed societies operating in democratic machineries.

The only solution is to commit no double standards, to open up all channels and to beef up a fact-based rebuttal government mechanism that will allow for statements to be made by the rakyat first, and then rebut with facts in the same channels if it so occasions the need.

If this or any other government sees it like that, then non-press channels such as blogs can play coexistential roles with the press which in turn will enrich each other with cross-pollination of views and ideas, if not information from the grassroots, perhaps even the rest of the world.

You can't say we're a globalized nation just by looking at things loaded onto ships and planes. Things loaded into the mind are also what counts in this century, all the more important if you want to take the minds of the heartland into the new era. Unless you never intended it to be so. In which case, say so upfront so that we can close shop as Malaysia Berhad.

If governments can see all this clearly, they should in fact create a foundation that can independently disburse supporting funds and grants to help alternative media such as blogs thrive further, unfettered by any conditions. In other words, governments should cross their rubicon of fear that they would only be funding people to criticise them. Why fear if the end-objective of cleaner and better governance is the common goal?

So it remains to come back to JO's situation. It's not hard to imagine even ten percent of what he has been going through these past four years, plodding away like this. When you drive past the office and see the door closed..but later see the blogsite still open with the latest and breeziest...there's a bit of fraternal recognition of that drive which in turn helps you to overlook the occasional apparently aggressive responses to some comments. In any case, good comments will stay good comments, que sera any thing a blogger does to it.
However it must be admitted that diversity is strength and some of the views are centric.

Lastly, a stable income source is the key. What's the key strength of a blog? Increasing popularity from a growing base of sophisticated clientele (of diverse miens). It's virtual real estate with value viral growth. How do you capitalize on that in order to make enough to free time and mind to focus on the critical issues? Beyond advertorials, hook the site to other business activities which can be started - portals for e-tuition/education, e-travelogues/tourism, auto/audio product reviews, perhaps even some e-applications such as e-surveys. Given the certainty that this government will continue to be over its head in running this country, e-telematics on pay-per-view, rss-newsfeeds, knowledge society activities, video lecture downloads, thinktanking...etc. Heck, even promote some of those vitamins and t-ali's. Just some off the head stuff.

There's also a plan C. If services can be shared to give you shared-services, why can't blogs be merged to give you mega-blogs? The individualisms can be retained by blocking the way the portal is designed so that the bloggers can write the intros and then become commenters as well in some new mode. Even overseas-based analysts and journalists can join the party.

Lastly, rebranding. It's always good to relook what has happened and see if new angles, designs and perspectives can still be coaxed out of tired brains.

Do we want a thinking and thriving nation? It's about helping all to recreate now a new future that has appeared to have already arrived and now wrecking some havoc in the backyard. Of everyone.

If we don't, we'll go into the sunset, a'sailing in some turkish yacht.

to cic_lemur whom have said the following :-

"With respect to some point of view in this thread on truth being relative and lies repeated often enough will become truth, this is not so.

There is the absolute truth, what really happened. Then there is lies, opinions of what really happened, accepted 'truths', false believe. Even if nobody knows the absolute truth, that doesn't mean it invalidates the existence of an absolute truth, and render what is held by the majority to be right as the truth.

Lies repeated often enough remains just that - lies, even if the masses are fooled. We should not accept truth being relative and hide behind them, and feel vindicated of our own jaundiced views, we should seek out the truth, the absolute truth, and accept it for whatever it is.

What I'm sayin is there is no moral superiority in hiding behind our relative truths and attacking others who hide behind theirs."

applying your say to the whole cartoonic catastrophe, it is in my opinion sickening to hear self-proclamation that what *we* [as in the mainstream media] reported is the better truth than some *poisonous venom* being spitted by ppl with personal vendettas

http://www.jeffooi.com/NST_Comic4_060222.jpg

The fact is A. kadir jasin text message someone high up in the NST about the insensitivities of the NST in publishing it is one thing but it again republished the same potential offending material and defending it on

It claimed to superior moral highground now that malaysia has enjoyed better freedom of speech than ever before ... the NST has aptly named AKJ and Jeffooi as "comrades in arms" if you refer to their previous articles as shown above.

That is what I called a relative fact; has malaysia enjoyed more freedom of speech ? what about the the malicious misreporting between the meetup of the prime minister and the ex-prime minister ? how about the gag order on the press prior to the toll-hike announcement on Dec 14 06 ? greater freedom ?

so on this note, how many times already have jeffooi have been made subject of police investigations ?

on the concept of truth, I think fellow blogger mwt has a few good points to it http://powerpresent.blogspot.com/2006/12/no-truth-within-pragmatism-truths-are.html

Hi Jeff,
I'm very sorry to hear about how they have targetted your ability to earn a living. This is a regime that has no concept of loyal criticism.
Criticism is taken as a threat and the threat has to be eliminated.

I'm not sure what the answer is. Many of us feel strongly about what's going wrong in this country which we love. But we are also conscious of the fact that there are other people dependent on us financially. In the end, we have kids to bring up and bills to pay. If you work for an organisation, your employer can be pressured subtly or not so subtly to get rid of you. If you are an independent business man, your customers can be "advised" to stay away from you, or government licences or permits which you are legally required to obtain can be denied to you, or go "lost" in the system.
Many friends of mine packed their bags and left the country. They took their intellectual know-how and also financial capital with them - what a waste to the country. I choose to stay here. I love this country, but its slow but surely going down the drain....

jeffoi and others like him maybe the messiah of the new age.
empires and emperors tremble at their mercy.
They may be persecuted, but ressurect they shall.
Lost a contract? that is life.
But hell, you could be on your way to be a kingmaker, or even a king.
Your love for the nation will eventually consume you.Join politics. You have the touch.
Merry Christmas and a happy new year from a muslim. And screw those who abandon humanity and live in a religious and racial cocoon.

Whatever it is..the second side of the coin is revealed through ur relentless writing and feedbacks. I am sure that many ppl gain from ur insight and share the same feelings as yours on the many issues raised, ranging from humanity to politics to business etc.
And yet time is such a precious moment and we need to prepare for the unknown challenges of the years to come, beginning from 2007. I recalled sometime back in 2004 after the GE, there were suggestions to register en-mass for selective constituents. Is it ongoing so that the people's voice can vibrate into the parliment?

Taken from the movie "Telefon", some lines from a famous poem..."I have things to do,And miles to go before I sleep"

Till then...G'nite M'sia...wherever u are...

[jeff wrote]
But to pre-judge and hurl accusations against a blogger, the way The NST did -- is something else. It's morally decadent.
[/jeff]

It should be:

But to pre-judge and hurl accusations against the NST, the way Jeff Ooi did -- is something else. It's morally decadent.

2 Facts:
- NST did not mock Propet Mohammed.

JEFF OOI says: On the contrary, the are Muslims, and practising Muslim journalists who said The NST mocked the Prophet. This blogger put it in context and on record. It's not my business to make the judgment call.

- Jeff Ooi is the one who lodged police report against NST.

JEFF OOI says: Give me the number of the police report which you said I lodged against The NST which I am not even aware of.

You did not, as you put it, "fight against the larger picture", what you did was simply a cheap shot.

JEFF OOI says: Indeed, with Malaysians like you -- who fork tongue, twist facts, and play God -- we should CRY 4 MALAYSIA!

Come back to Malaysia, don't take potshot at your fellow Malaysians and bid around the bushes of Texas (Aptilo Networks: 71.97.120.178).

Jeff,

I think uncle Kit did offer you to become a YB in year 2003. But you choose to be with your BN. Yet is the BN that put sand in your bowl of rice.

Our Yang Amat Berlakon also did not pity you much instead...yet convey his bad message to you via his secretary.

Why not revert it to Uncle Kit's plan, Malaysia is beautiful, but to treat the urgly politicians, need to treat them the same way.

I know, you stand strong with your BN. BUT...do they help much?

Hi Jeff,
I have highlighted a part of this blog under the title "Tribulations of a Malaysian blogger" here:
http://pgoh13.free.fr/malaysia_news.php
Please let me know if you have any objections to it. If so it will be withdrawn immediately.
Thank you and good luck.
pgoh

Jeff, I don't agree about the idea of supressing Malaysia forming Sep 16 1963.

Yes, you can argue that Malaysia is from Malaya, and independent gain since 1957.

However, the independent is merely a process of nation building, and if using the "looking forward" that you use, then the country should have change the National day to respect the spirit of "look forward".

Do take note that when East and West Germanry merge, German public accept the merge day as National day.

No German is arguing because the national day make German looks "young".

[cre8tive wrote]
The fact is A. kadir jasin text message someone high up in the NST about the insensitivities of the NST in publishing it is one thing but it again republished the same potential offending material and defending it on
[/cre8tive]

How was the cartoon offensive? Offensive to who? It may warrant action if it mocked the Prophet Muhammad, but it didn't. This is my view, but I'm willing to change my view if you can raise a persuasive argument against it.

[cre8tive wrote]
...
That is what I called a relative fact; has malaysia enjoyed more freedom of speech ? what about the the malicious misreporting between the meetup of the prime minister and the ex-prime minister ? how about the gag order on the press prior to the toll-hike announcement on Dec 14 06 ? greater freedom ?
[/cre8tive]

It is true, there is more press freedom, some of the things being published today on mainstream press wouldn't make the light of day during Mahathir's era. Note that *more* freedom doesn't mean *complete* freedom. The mainstream press is still very much under the thumb of the government.

[cre8tive wrote]
so on this note, how many times already have jeffooi have been made subject of police investigations ?
[/cre8tive]

Not just jeffooi, plenty of people have been wrongfully vilified. You misunderstand me if you think I'm against jeffooi and am for the mainstream press.

[cre8tive wrote]
on the concept of truth, I think fellow blogger mwt has a few good points to it http://powerpresent.blogspot.com/2006/12/no-truth-within-pragmatism-truths-are.html
[/cre8tive]

Gosh, this blogger rambles a lot. Taking his example, he has claimed that truth is relative, by giving examples like:

1) Person in equator sees the sun rise and set.
2) Person in north pole sees the sun all the time.
3) Person in south pole doesn't see the sun.

Taken individually, yes these three are relative truths to the respective people. However it is easy to see the greater truth, which is, all of it is true. And because we understand this we know that it is idiotic for some one in the equator, for example, to hold on to a believe that he is right and everyone else is wrong.