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The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) supports the formation of the National Alliance of Bloggers (ALL-BLOGS). They Walk With Us!

This was announced by NUJ president, Norila Mohd Daud, at the World Press Freedom Day 2007 forum Bloggers: New Breed of Journalists or Online Journal Keepers? at Menara Star yesterday.

Via The Star:

“It shows their seriousness in carrying out responsible blogging,” she said in an interview later.

The NUJ also supported All-Blogs because it cared about press freedom and issues pertinent to nation-building, she said.

Earlier, in commemorating World Press Freedom Day on May 3, the NUJ had urged the government to recognise the bloggers and the role they play in nation building.

The forum, organised by the Star Branch of NUJ, had invited this blogger, lawyer-blogger Malik Imtiaz Sarwar and Star Online Editor Raslan Shariff to speak from our respective vantage points.

It was revealed at the forum that Nexnews editor-in-Chief Ho Kay Tat, who was invited as a panel speaker, had told the organisers that he couldn't make it.

Rocky files new application to strike out suit

Yesterday, blogger Rocky filed a new application to strike out a suit against him by the New Straits Times (M) Bhd (NSTP) and four others, reported The Star today.

He claimed that the suit was embarrassing as it did not specify clearly the purported defamatory imputations which arose from publication of articles in his weblog.

Rocky is the president of ALL-BLOGS.

A day earlier, Rocky had filed his defence as has been ordered by the high court. He provided further evidence on alleged plagiarism involving one of the plaintiffs, and claimed fair comment on his remarks on another plaintiff for causing the Weekend Mail to be suspended indefinitely by the government in November last year.

Meanwhile, Rocky has also through his solicitors Chooi & Co filed an affidavit to support the application and a certificate of urgency to have the application heard sooner.

He is seeking an order to stay the trial pending the hearing of his application.

Ahirudin had wanted to strike out the suit on grounds that it was deficient because it did not state the exact words in the weblog. But he withdrew the application last month because the plaintiffs amended their suit.

'Fatally Deficient' & 'Embarrassing'

Earlier, April 24, this blogger had also filed a fresh application to strike out his defamation suitwhere the plaintiffs had also amended their statement of claims.

My lawyers had pleaded on my behalf through the Summons in Chambers that the plaintiffs' amended Statement of Claims dated February 12, 2007 was EMBARRASSING.

My lawyers had earlier described the plaintiffs' original Statement of Claims dated January 11, 2007 as FATALLY DEFICIENT.