Minister-in-charge of Communications, Information & Culture Dr. Rais Yatim
We were told that a Police report was made this morning, pertaining to the “2.6GHz Spectrum: Transparency is the way to go”. That posting created so many controversies in the Minister of Communications, Information and Culture side, with the man himself reacting.
The Malay Mail broke the story yesterday:
It’s character assassination, says Rais
Minister refutes claims son in telco deal, plans police report against bloggers
CECILIA VICTOR
Monday, October 11th, 2010 11:18:00RAIS: Claims no family members are associated with any dealings
PETALING JAYA: Minister of Information, Communications and Culture Datuk Seri Rais Yatim yesterday denied claims his son’s telecommunication company was one of the beneficiaries of the ministry’s RM1 billion grant to improve broadband access within the nation.
When contacted by The Malay Mail, Rais replied via SMS text: “I have no nexus whatsoever in response to the alleged claims made by Taikors and Taikuns (TnT), a business blog and bigdogdotcom.“I categorically deny it and regard the blog story as a means of character assassination.”
The bloggers posted claims of Rais’ son was beneficiary of this government grant to nine telecommunication corporations to develop the access of connectivity in Malaysia.
The grant, made via the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), is intended to achieve a 50 per cent broadband household penetration rate.
The 2.6GHz spectrum would be made for allocation in January 2013.
Rais said: “I state that in my 40 years of public service, I have never availed nor allowed myself to indulge in acts associated with those false and wild allegations.
“No members of my family are even remotely associated with those slanted and ill-intended allegations, and will forthwith assert my rights under the law and report the matter to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) so that an investigation could be under way.
“It is sad and unfortunate to find the blog also adversely speculated and alleged wrongdoing of the ministry’s secretary-general and other public servants.
“I will make a police report in reference to the false news raised by the bloggers.”
************
Datuk Ahirudin “Rocky” Attan would be called in by MCMC 1030am tomorrow for investigations in Cyberjaya. It is believed to his Rocky’s Bru posting “Who gets Santa Rais’ RM 1 billion handout?”.
The development of this posting which meant to ask for transparency for a purpoted grant to develop the 2.6GHz connectivity as part of the National Broadband Initiative has now turned into something interesting, but probably ugly. ‘Transparency’ is an important component for the ‘Combating Corruption’, which is one of the six NKRA under Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Mohd. Najib Tun Razak’s leadership.
What is more interesting that the Dewan Rakyat is in session now, beginning yesterday. Since public spending is the most important item for the 2011 Budget, which will be presented by PM Najib on Friday and debated for the next few weeks, ‘transparency’ must be on each 222 MPs’ radar scope. Especially from the perspective of ‘huge leakages and wastages’ in Government expenditure.
This blog would be updating the development of this case. Taking an adversorial hardline approach on a transparency call based on a rumour would not reflect well on the Minister who is expected to engage new media and the practitioners.
*Updated 0730pm
Minister Dato’ Seri Utama Dr. Rais Yatim personally lodged the Police report in the morning, at IPD Dang Wangi. On Monday, he told The Malay Mail that the postings were “Character assassination”.
This is the ‘Paper that cares’ latest on the story:
Rais Yatim lodges report over allegations against son
CECILIA VICTOR
Tuesday, October 12th, 2010 16:52:00
PETALING JAYA: Information, Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Rais Yatim has lodged a police report today against the bloggers behind two blog sites which had alleged that his son was one of the beneficiaries of the ministry’s RM1 billion grant to improve broadband access within the nation.Rais’ Press secretary, Norazli Noh, confirmed this with The Malay Mail this afternoon.
“The minister has already lodged his police report against the bloggers this morning.”
Norazli declined to elaborate and told The Paper That Cares to contact Rais for comments. Our efforts to do so have been futile thus far.
Meanwhile, sources told The Malay Mail that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has reacted swiftly on the issue and has hauled up bloggers to assist in the investigation.
On Sept 27, two blogs namely Taikors and Taikuns (TnT) and bigdogdotcom had alleged that Rais’ son’s telecommunication company was one of nine companies which had benefitted from the government grant to develop the broadband connectivity access in Malaysia.
The grant, made via the MCMC, is intended to achieve a 50 per cent broadband household penetration rate. The 2.6GHz spectrum would be made for allocation in January 2013.
Yesterday, we reported that Rais had refuted the claims made by the bloggers.Rais had told The Malay Mail that none of his family members were “even remotely associated with those slanted and ill-intended allegations, and will forthwith assert my rights under the law and report the matter to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) so that an investigation could be under way”.
He had also said he would lodge a police report in reference to the “false” news raised by the bloggers.
The issue of “false news” had made headlines recently, in particular the case of The Malay Mail’s entertainment and lifestyle executive editor Irwan Abdul Rahman, who was charged in court over his blog post ‘TNB To Sue WWF Over Earth Hour’, penned under his blogger name, Hassan Skodeng.
Irwan was charged by MCMC under Section 233 (1)(a) of Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for improper use of network facilities or network service by making, creating, soliciting and initiating transmission of any content that is obscene, indecent, false, menacing or offensive in character with malicious intent.
The charge has been met with ridicule and disdain by the blogging community as well as the legal fraternity, who have labelled it “frivolous”.
The "thirteen million plus Ringgit" guy rambles.... 
Quite rightly so
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Perak Today, Rocky Bru. Rocky Bru said: In Malaysia, minister in-charged of bloggers lodge police report against bloggers this morning. http://bit.ly/dyUMdZ […]
As a lawyer, I see it has been perceived as putting the minister personally in ridicule, without regards to the allegation that it was only based on rumour.
In these days and time rumours can be dangerous. The laws as skewed by the English common law no longer would apply should indirect malice be proven.
Datuk Seri Rais is saying “I have been defamed and scandalised. I am taking action” Which he has done.
Which has an effect to imply, other ministers within the Govt, who have been similarly maligned in many of the opposition blogs, ipso facto guilty, because they have NOT taken any action.
His action will cast an unfavourable impression among his fellow ministers.
I sincerely hope that the end will justify his means.
An unconditional and unequivocal apology from the perpetrator (if his intention was not mala fide) is a recourse, is it not?
Thank you
Freddie
Only in Malaysia, an impressive 90% of rumours are true while the newspaper only present 50% of the truth.
It’s no wonder that Rais Yatim sprung to action the minute the rumour is out.
Have to agree with the minister this time big dog. He is initiating a formal investigation on the so called rumour which is a very transparent move on his part considering our PDRM/SPRM standard answer of any allegation i.e “pihak kami akan menyiasat jika ada pihak yang membuat laporan”. As Rocky Bru is the numero uno in the blogging world, the minister’s reaction or over reaction is understandable.
Shalela
Touchy! Touchy! Siapa makan cili, dialah rasa pedas.
Biggie,
Rais is undoubtedly immature in taking this action against Datuk Rocky. Politicians & their families or former business partners are targets of rumors & even malicious slanders all the time. The police would probably need a dedicated dept to take down reports & investigate everytime a blogger, commenter & more importantly every damnest time anything remotely ‘rumour’ in nature is said/written. 24/7! How about insinuation? The police must work on that too!
This is definitely an overkill & would bring down respect towards senior ministers.
I remembered when Tun Dr Mahathir was still the PM, these things happen all the time. He just simply ignored! Even when PAS idiots spread rumours about his family having hundreds of millions in USD stashed in “Israeli National Bank”!
Time will tell. Would anyone now believe that if anyone re-tell that ‘story’? 12 years ago, even my in-laws are bloody conivinced!
Would this stupid action by Rais open a new front on the war by bloggers? Didnt anyone learn anything from the Pak Lah al Flip-Floppy episode???
Alaa… apa nak bising sgt? Awak punya orang asyik sokong buat ripot polis, guna ISA, guna Sedition Act, Seditious Act, Seduction Act, blablabla… bile sendiri kena nangis pula!
Buaya juga makan penyokongnya. Jgn lupa..
Nasi dah jadi bubor….Lain yg di maksud,lain yg terjun
Everybody have their limits. If I am not mistaken the police hqve investigated one Pas pak lebai for accusing him of watching porn or something until his untimely death a few yeats back. Its true, as a public figure one must be prepared to face all the bullshit that comes with it but where do you draw the line?. He has lodged a police
report, what more do you expect from an old
school politician like him
I was referimg to TDM on the pas pak lebai case
The Minister must be aware of the changes in ICT that brought about the power of ‘digital democracy’. The approach now is about ‘engaging’, not ‘adversarial’.
We can’t recall that Tun Dr Mahathir made the Police report against the Pak Lebai, although probably Police did investigate on it. We agree with Mr/Miss Demonstratum that Tun Dr Mahathir ignored all these rumours against him.
Alas, truth prevailed. For 22 1/3 years in office, no one could possibly surpass the amount of rumours and even slanderous writings against him. Even ceramahs. Remember the tunnel that was supposed to be right under Seri Perdana all the way to Melaka Straits that would be an escape for him?
Tunggu PRU13 bloggers pro UMNO/BN akan ajar hampeh hampeh yang ada nie, ingatkan dema ni pandai rupanye bengok bak kata org negori menghabiskan boreh ajo, takkan bertanyo pun salah, susah la kalau macam nie aii! dah nafikan dah lah yg dok nak repot apo untungnyo…sajo nak cari pasal dengan bloggers menjelang persidangan umno ko…Kalau apo aku cakap nie pun salah, kalau tak suko tutop ajo internet di Malaysia nie bio MCMC ditutup tak do korjo menggangur jual apo ajo lah.
Ada dua wajah dlm isu blogger Bigdog, dan lain-lain menimbulkan dakwaan berasaskan khabar angin kononnya Menteri Penerangan DS Rais memberikan kontrak spectrum 2.6MHz kpd syarikat anaknya- dakwaan yg terbukti salah dan palsu.
Apabila DS Rais membuat laporan polis, ramai blogger2 ‘terkemuka’ membebel mengatakan kalau blogger pro Melayu mudah saja diambil tindakan, tetapi Namewee dan lain2 tidak.
Ini tidak patut kerana namewee memang sedang diambil tindakan. Hanya melalui proses perundangan. DS Rais tidak pernah memaafkan namewee seperti disebut sesetengah blogger pro kerajaan/melayu.
Apa yg dilakukan oleh bigdog dan dipanjangkan oleh rocky sesuatu yg tidak harus berlaku, terutama oleh tokoh kewartawanan sepertinya. Walaupun ia berpunca daripada khabar angin, hakikatnya ia telah menimbulkan tanda tanya yg di zaman IT ini mudah bertukar menjadi tuduhan.
Maka diatas faktor inilah DS Rais membuat laporan polis.
Renungkan: sudah agak lama kita dibelenggu kelemahan tanpa berupaya mengambil tindakan signifikan ke atas kesalahan para blogger. Maka dgn episod ini, bukankah DS Rais menjalankan tugasnya sbg menteri bertanggung jawab ke atas media?
Dia berani mengambil tindakan, dan bukankah ini yg perlu dicontohi? Berani kerana benar.
Dan pada blogger2 yg mengutuk kononnya dia pilih kasih cuba menghukum mereka, kumpulan ini perlu sedar apa yg dilakukan rocky dan bigdog sebenarnya dituju kpd pemimpin melayu. Dahlah tuduhan palsu, perbuatan mereka itu bukan membantu memantapkan kedudukan melayu/kerajaan, tetapi lagi melemahkan dgn cara membuka ruang utk diperlekeh dan ditertawakan oleh pembangkang.
Siapakah blogger2 berkenaan hingga kerajaan dan hak asasi seseorang perlu tunduk kpd mereka?
Biasa la. Bloggers macam Locky sama Big Dog cuma pintar heboh2 atau sensasi cerita yang bukan2 aje. Mereka bukan aje tak berani melaporkan ramai pengkhianat negara yang curi duit berbillion, tapi sebaliknya kedua blogger ini resis juga.
Ayuh, memang berita baik jika mereka dipejarakan selama hidup tanpa parole.
Blogger macam Dato Sak adalah suatu blogger yang boleh dihormati.
[…] Minister in charge of Information, Communications and Culture Yang Berhormat Dato’ Seri Utama Dr Rais Yatim, Ph.D made a Police report on the piece with IPD Dang Wangi on Tuesday […]
Big Dog, we know where you were coming ….it was loud and clear that you and Rocky were merely suggesting transparency ….YTL (one of 9 licensees) was RUMOURED to have connections to Rais, hence, the fear Rais is being sucked into another YTL excercise to use Govt funds to enrich themsleves (and as they have done so in the past, but afterwards imply the Malays not up to the mark, etc, etc).
Your message was simple : either come out transparent or risk being the subject of unending suspicion and accusations…
Sadly, the perception was not as it was meant to be. I believe there will be a nice end to this, with answers duly given.
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