‘Funny how the government is 'selectively proactive' sometimes. It took public outrage and demand for a minister's head before the government was pressured into using the Sedition Act.'

Malaysiakini videos: Minister says public expect action

Arul Inthirarajah : As an Indian, I am extremely offended by what Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said and his defence of seditious actions. Action should be taken against him and the offenders, and not those who bring the offence to light. Are BN ministers so used to the public expecting them to be idiots that they all so quick to play the part?

Abil: What is the role of Malaysia Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC)? Are they the guardians of what appears on a news portal? Malaysiakini just reported what took place. In what way is it insidious to the public?

P, B & J: Funny how the government is 'selectively proactive' sometimes. It took public outrage and demand for a minister's head before the government was pressured into using the Sedition Act. Then here, there has not been one single grouse about the videos but the government is "smart" enough to know that "The public won't like it if they (MCMC) did not take any action".

Really? What public? I can guarantee you my part of the public would insist that these videos stay on. As an aside, it once again shows the government's problem with going after the culprit rather than the messenger.

Suhakam : Whether Malaysiakini takes down the two video clips or not does not really matter any more. The two clips are already on YouTube. Unless MCMC and the government want to create a global furore and scare away all the IT investors from the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC), it better not ban YouTube.

As for the hopelessly misguided deputy minister, I think he better be honest and say, "Umno and Kerismuddin won't like it if they (MCMC) did not take any action." I would agree to a poll being set up to really gauge what the 'public' wants.

Public : Dear minister, the public expects action to be taken against the people who participated in the disgusting protest, as well as the people who protect them. Not against the people who report the incidents. If you are in any doubt of that, allow an independent third party to conduct a poll.

The therapist : As usual, nothing constructive is coming out from another BN minister or deputy. The 'public' he is referring to is none other than the people shown in the video and not us - the public at large.

Chee Hoe Siew : "The public won't be happy if MCMC did not take action". Am I getting this right? This means that there have been no complaints so far on Malaysiakini's footage but MCMC decided to act any way. So what about Utusan Malaysia which has had public outcry? How come no action is taken against them?

Kengan : BN ministers who spew out meaningless garbage should not assume the public are gullible fools. Expecting the public to believe the ridiculous speaks a lot for their intelligence and common sense. But then again, we should not expect BN ministers to be intelligent. They are there because of their street fighting and vote-buying ability, not because of their intellect.

Yuvan : The minister's statement is really ridiculous! The public surely wants strong and meaningful action regarding the protesters and definitely not on the videos showing the protests.

The public wants action from all the relevant authorities on the thousand-and-one cases pending against politicians (from both BN and Pakatan Rakyat) for corruption and abuse of power. The public wants action against all those 'little Napoleons' who are not bothered to implement government policies and directives in a fair and just manner making life miserable for thousands of people.

The public wants serious action from the government on a hundred-and-one issues affecting the day-to-day lives of thousands of Malaysians - decent housing, meaningful education, efficient public transportation, affordable healthcare and prices of essential goods and services to be kept under control. And the public wants action from the government to stop MCMC's arm-twisting tactics.

Asian Malaysian : Regardless of the topic, what sort of statement can anyone expect out of the Ministry of Information, Communication and Culture? Well, there you go.

Ong : The deputy minister's statement will be more meaningful if he tells us which sections of the public won't like it if they (MCMC) did not take any action against Malaysiakini for reporting news and events the way they happened. The group that insulted the Hindus? The Hindus who were insulted? Or the rest of us Malaysians who were indirectly insulted?

Steven Hew : Now, all Malaysians with a fair mind and an advanced mindset will know why Malaysia is going backward year after year. Just look at the quality of our ministers and their deputies. They are just a bunch of low IQ human beings.

Fellow Malaysians, if you still think that BN can lead us all to a better future for our children... then never complain for you are the one that vote an idiotic government.

Temporary access : The public was appalled when the police stood by watching while 50 men kicked and spat at a cow's head. They were disgusted when the Selangor police chief said the police did nothing because the officer who was at the scene is a junior staff and did not know his job.

I am stumped to note that anti-riot police violently arrested protesters at a candlelight vigil, who were singing songs and holding roses calling for religious freedom in the country. The public is not upset with the video posted on Malaysiakini's website. They are furious with the abuse of power by the police and ruling elite.

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