The attempt to get Twitter to remove some posts and hashtags critical of the government’s handling of the floods is “highly disrespectful” of flood victims, says the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) today.
In a statement, CIJ said that any government eager to put the weight of the state apparatus against dissenting voices and opinions “raises alarm bells” for a functioning democratic system.
“Critical voices are at the heart of transparency and accountability, which is crucial now more than ever as we experience a nationwide crisis in the form of floods,” said CIJ.
“State and public officials should tolerate more, not less, criticism than ordinary citizens.
“The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission’s (MCMC) act of attempting to censor content related to the floods is not only highly disrespectful of flood victims but speaks volumes about its regard for democracy and the right to discourse on important matters of public interest.”
It was reported yesterday that MCMC had failed in its attempt to get Twitter to remove some posts and hashtags that were critical of the government’s handling of the floods.
The regulatory body claimed it had to take such action to “uphold Malaysia’s laws”.
However, Twitter did not take any action against the tweets despite MCMC’s request.
Twitter said it strongly believed in defending and respecting users. As such, it only notified users of the requests from MCMC.
Noting that the floods have caused tremendous property damage and disrupted the lives of thousands, CIJ said MCMC should instead be proactive in coordinating information on search-and-rescue efforts, as communication lines were down in affected areas.
CIJ added that instead of cracking down on those critical of the government’s alleged mismanagement of the floods, agencies like MCMC should focus public resources towards providing timely and accessible updates and information on the floods and ongoing relief work.
Attempts to suppress criticism of the government is “grossly disproportionate” to any aim of protecting public order or upholding democracy, said CIJ.
“Censoring such dissenting and critical views should never be the norm, even if they make the government look bad.”
Source: Free Malaysia Today
