‘Reporters are only doing their jobs - the authorities, MCMC included, should just let them be. They did not cause the problem, they merely reported it.’

MCMC tells Malaysiakini: Take down videos

Lin Wen Quan: Malaysiakini should not pull the videos out. There were actual events that took place and not something Malaysiakini made up. The first video merely exposes those perpetrators of hate and religious bigotry. The second shows that their provocative actions, not Malaysiakini's , found empathy with none other than the home mnister.

It is preposterous to make it look as if Malaysiakini created the incident in the first place whilst the authorities appear like mollycoddling the real culprits who caused outrage and anger not only to our Hindu brethren, but to all rational and tolerant Malaysians.

Myop101: Malaysiakini , don't back down. What you did is merely presenting facts. If these protesters and minister do not intend to put themselves in ugly light, then they should have think about their actions beforehand. What MCMC is doing is amounting to censorship of the Internet. If they are keen on telling you to take down those videos, why don't they do the same by shutting down YouTube?

Voon Yuen Woh: I wonder which Indian (should be ‘Hindu’) is annoyed - if this video results in appropriate action by the authorities, who are often "moved" to act due to public opinion, then the Indians (‘Hindus’) would appreciate the video's resulting effect. Reporters are only doing their jobs - the authorities, MCMC included, should just let them be. They did not cause the problem, they merely reported it.

If we go hard on the reporters, they will only be "cowed" (pardon the pun) from reporting this type of irresponsible behaviour the next time round and future perpetrators will be more embolden. Let's concentrate on solving the problem i.e. punish the offenders and make them an example of what the authorities will do to those who incite racial and religious tensions and leave the fourth estate alone.

Arul Inthirarajah: Malaysiakini should not take the videos down. I am an Indian and I believe they should be kept up forever as a reminder of what BN is capable of doing. Has the MCMC sought the views of the Indian community? Not likely. It's more likely someone who does not want the evidence of his crimes to be seen.

After all, wasn't it just last week that they were telling us that these were not Umno goons. Now that the truth is out that these were Umno branch leaders, some who were not even resident there. They want to hide the evidence.

Rayfire: If the protesters claim to be innocent, and in this case the home minister seem to be supportive of them, we want to know why. I don't quite see a correlation with MCMC’s view of the video and the home minister’s view. He seem to say the protesters were merely expressing their views. Not even an apology was made. He made them seem like heroes "who love their country" in his exact words.

So stop this cover up, the people who sat next to Hishammuddin clearly uttered seditious statements in the video. I just don't get it, how dumb do you people think Malaysians are?

Ong Guan Sin: I commend Malaysiakini for taking the right position by not backing down. I am sure Malaysians are behind on this matter. Again, it is a classic example of Bolehland - shooting the messenger rather than taking action against the real culprits.

Jefferson76: So now they find their own ministers offensive! We don't need MCMC to tell us that! Just get rid of the home minister and we won't need to worry about future offensive videos. Better yet, get rid of Umno and we will have a whole lot less offensive content to worry about!

Ravindranath: Yes, I am an Indian and I want those videos posted on Malaysiakini for posterity. I wholeheartedly support Malaysiakini's stand on the issue and for standing up for the truth. This is the government’s way of trying to hide the truth from the public eye. And yes, I will be renewing my subscription for posterity too.

Chipmunk: From EC to MACC and now MCMC. Better take MC. I salute Malaysiakini for the role they play in giving non-bias up-to-date information for all to know. Imagine without Malaysiakini ... all of us would have been taken for a ride.

Why the double standards? A sin is a sin no matter how big or small it is. You guys at Malaysiakini , you are doing a fantastic job and please do what you have been doing and that is to report without fear or favor. Well done and kudos!

Au Yong: So MCMC thinks the video is offensive. But the police who were present at the protest did not think so and no one was arrested. So who is the correct authority to define an event as offensive - MCMC or the police?

Doremi: The public have the right to know what is going on. Malaysiakini is doing a great job of keeping the public informed. There is no good reason to take down the videos, especially the one where Hishammuddin met the ‘Cowhead Gang’. The problem lies with meeting the Cowhead Gang and sympathising with them, as well as that stupid and disgusting thing the gang did. If the government is so concerned about getting bad press, it should stop doing bad things.

Kee Thuan Chye: News is news. Those videos are now part of history. What MCMC is instructing Malaysiakini to do amounts to erasing history. Are we living in communist Russia circa 1940s? Shame on the MCMC and their masters who gave the order.

If Hishammooddin made an error in defending the cow-head protestors, he must now admit it like a man. MCMC will not be helping his personal development by getting that video erased. As for the video of the protest itself, erasing it will not erase the offence the protest has already caused. The story will spread by word of mouth in any case.

Asking for the removal of the videos actually makes the MCMC and their masters look stupid. It also shows their weakness and desperation.

Indian Man: As an Indian, it disturbs me that the New Straits Times , the Star and the other Malay dailies especially did not carry this article. MCMC is now joining the government in curtailing our right to proper information.

In this case, there were reports that the group concerned even said they were prepared to shed blood. Instead of letting everyone know what happened, condemning such action, and prosecuting these people after the issue has been properly reported so that the people will know that there is no malice involved, which this government refuses to do. The MCMC seems to have joined this government, and Hishammuddin in particular, to hush things up.

Oppressed: If the videos are so annoying and offensive to the extent that MCMC felt they ought to be taken off, it is then very obvious that the protesters must have committed offences under the law of the country and the home minister must have made a stupid statement.

Arif: If Malaysiakini is truly a responsible news portal, it should take the videos down immediately. You have done your part to bring the issue to public attention. Why not now you do your part to unite Malaysians.

TC: Arif, how will it make Malaysiakini ‘truly’ responsible by taking the videos down and how will it unite Malaysians? As far as the readers here are concerned, the videos reflect the indecent acts of the "protesters" and the "minister". From what I understand, the Hindus, though upset, are not about to do anything untoward. So rest assured that there is no threat to the unity of Malaysians.

Perhaps this reticence of the Hindus is not the reaction that was expected by the players in the videos. Further, many Muslims have expressed disgust over the action of these perpetrators. These reactions were not going according to the script. Hence, the order to remove the videos.

The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers.