Joint media statement by Kluang MP, Liew Chin Tong; Serdang MP, Dr Ong Kian Ming dan Bukit Bendera MP, Zairil Khir Johari on 7 Nov 2013 in Kuala Lumpur
The objective of the 1bestarinet project led by the Ministry of Education is to “transform the education arena and establish Malaysia as a model of excelllence in integrated, Internet-enabled learning”, according to the YTL Communications website (http://www.ytlcomms.my/en/
A closer look indicates quite the opposite, with regard to the ‘control’ and restrictions put in place by the project’s administrator.
It appears that the administrator has blocked several websites and blogs, rendering these sites inaccessible to users, see below.
DAP Leaders’ websites/blogs:
Surprisingly too, BN-linked entities such as the MCA website (mca.org.my) and the Pemuda UMNO site (pemudaumno.org.my) are blocked too for reasons only known to the administrator.
Unfortunately, sites that proffer racist and extremist viewpoints have not been blocked such as the Perkasa blog and website (http://pribumiperkasa.
Also accessible were the UMNO official organ, umno-online.my, Wanita UMNO site, wanitaumno.my and the Puteri UMNO portal, puteriumno.my.
As the 1bestarinet project is meant to cultivate and foster a culture of teaching and learning which will be a yardstick for the educational standards of the future, it is highly degrading to impose controls and restrictions on the information that teachers and students can access.
It is an added insult to the teaching profession, which has been unfairly burdened thus far with all sorts of administrative tasks instead of focusing on the business of teaching and imparting knowledge to our children. Now their their freedom to seek information too has been curtailed with the blocking of these websites.
Apart from several DAP-linked entities, we are certain too that MCA and Pemuda UMNO would be more than interested to know the reasons behind the blocking of their sites.
We therefore demand clarification from the Ministry of Education as to whether the blocking of the sites are intentional or a mere glitch in the network. We demand an explanation too on the Ministry’s stand with regard to the government and MSC policy that there will be no censorship of the Internet.
To all Malaysians who created the GE14 miracle, keep fighting. We will be back stronger.