un pensamiento para ti...
"He aprendido que todo el mundo quiere vivir en la cima de la montaña, sin saber que la verdadera felicidad está en la forma de subir la escarpada. He aprendido que cuando un recién nacido aprieta con su pequeño puño, por vez primera, el dedo de su padre, lo tiene atrapado para siempre. He aprendido que un hombre sólo tiene derecho a mirar a otro hacia abajo, cuando ha de ayudarle a levantarse..."
~ Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Just the other day I was chatting with my friend over MSN and we were talking about my blog. In a jokingly Singaporean manner, I said, "nowadays blogging getting very dangerous wor, not careful can kenna sued anytime."
Well, not entirely a joke either. Recently blogger Chen Jiahao got sued by government agency A*Star on defamation charges for critcisms against the agency's scholarship program which he posted on his blog. A*Star refused a public apology and a simple removal of the post. In the end the entire blog was being taken off.
This was what one reader wrote at the Today newspaper forum:
"... A*Star might want to consider debating with him instead of just slapping him with a legal warning.
When A*Star is able to justify its policies against cricisms, it will come out of the argunment cleaner and shinier and show the puclic its strength in public-policy making. It will also gain the public's support.
A*Star should take this kind of opportunity of branding itself by winning the debate convincingly and not degrade its image by invoking its legal rights.
A government agency threatening to sue a young student over an internet posting - how does that sound?"
However, in fairness, the reader also added:
"Mr Chen must always remember speaking out is both ways - you must be able to receive as much as you give.
You must be able to defend your opinions and criticisms against others...
True, MM Lee Kuan Yew has urged young Singaporeans to speak their minds, but he did not tell them to go round shooting arrows at everybody or defaming other people's reputations and expect to be immune from the repercussions."
(http://www.todayonline.com/articles/49237.asp)
It's actually old news but it sort of resurfaced again on Saturday's Straits Times where the question of whether blogs had the power of influence on politics was explored.
Nope, not gonna add my own comments on all these lest I get sued too.
Bye bye!!!
3 comments:
Yep, blogging is gaining more attention nowadays. With elections coming up, you can bet the authorities are monitoring closely what are written in blogs.
Anyway, have checked out tomorrow.sg?
http://tomorrow.sg/
I read about this poor guy but I wasn't very familiar with what he said, whether it was really shooting blank arrows or whatever. But I feel nowdays companies are getting very jittery over comments made by a nobody type of blog. I am a nobody, so so far no censorship. But if one can't speak one's own opinion, what is the point of blogging? Of course we must be responsible about what we write, but what if we form an opinion after reading some text supporting our opinion and not simply just blurt it out? Like my posts about those airplane crashes, opinion formed after watching a documentary which may or may not be accurate. Am I wrong to say what i said with the information I have?
I feel a big company, or a famous personality must be ready to withstand and take all criticisms, unless it is a blatant lie. If not that big company may look like a spoilt brat and we, mere ordinary nobody may be made to suffer simply because we are not rich enough to sue them back. I feel it's a threat and I don't like it.
Well said Funn, well said.
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