YOURSAY 'Dzulkarnain's statement is an oxymoron of journalism and free press, the very principle that ought to have been the cornerstone of KWMM.'

'Ban or impose strict restrictions on Malaysiakini'

What now?: The president of Kelab Wartawan Muda Malaysia (KWMM) or Malaysia Young Journalists Club, Dzulkarnian Taib, said the authorities must take immediate action on Malaysiakini , which he claimed was lopsided in its reporting and to prevent it from disrupting unity in the country.

Surely the truth hurts because Malaysiakini exposes lies, half truths, spin, intolerably poor governance, corruption, cronyism, gerrymandering, electoral fraud, cost overruns, racism, selective prosecutions, custodial deaths, control of the media by a minority government and its subservient cohorts.

Proscribe online media such as Malaysiakini and the country will be engulfed in drivel.

Vijay47: The current spate of demands for action against Malaysiakini is nothing unusual and is one of those predilections that poke their heads out of their holes from time to time.

But what is rather disturbing is that Dzulkarnian, the president of the Malaysia Young Journalists Club, whatever that is, was once the editor of Suara Keadilan . What was Pakatan Rakyat doing traipsing around with the likes of this character?

He obviously was lured away from Pakatan to make him a better trophy for Umno who will no doubt display him as evidence of the collapse within PKR or even Pakatan. Pakatan should be more discriminating in who they select to head their divisions. Too often has today's friend become tomorrow's foe.

Anyway, congratulations, Malaysiakini . You must be hitting them where it really hurts.

P Dev Anand Pillai: They are afraid of free thought and speech. Malaysiakini and Malaysians will not, and must not, allow such a proposal to become a reality.

Malaysiakini must be fiercely independent and there should be no compromise on that. If its servers have to be placed overseas then so be it and if for such freedom, the subscription fees have to be increased, I will support that effort.

But nothing must come to impede its independence, nothing.

Anonymous #85701391: When Dzulkarnain is able to differentiate between facts and fiction perhaps, then he could claim himself to be a journalist. Otherwise, don't dishonour the profession by misrepresentation.

Primus: Funnily, Dzulkarnain's statement is an oxymoron of journalism and free press, the very principle ought to have been the cornerstone of the organisation he represents.

Distinction needs to be made between free press and propaganda spinning as we all know which paper is the master of the latter. Do not try to kill the messenger when the culprit is at grave fault.

Tholu: Abang Dzulkarnian, it is good to know that you are able to recognise lopsided reporting by the media.

But I am disappointed that you did not mention other mainstream media, print and electronic, such as Utusan Malaysia , The Star and TV3 for reports that has on many occasions been deemed to drive a wedge between the ethnic groups in the country.

They had reported on news that incites disharmony and hatred among the races. Their reports in their media are not merely biased skewed pieces but reports that shred the fabric of unity among the races of this country.

So Abang Dzul, it is very clear that your opinion on the report of Malaysiakini being lopsided actually exposes you as being cockeyed and wonky; and also clearly reveals you as an Umno lackey.

Cala: Freedom of press does not exist in the kingdom of mainstream media for they are either owned by the ruling regime or their cronies. But freedom of press is a means to reduce or to remove high transaction cost in everyday living.

The fact that transaction costs are high in Third World countries point to inefficiency in the governance of economy. Third World politicians love that in order to loot and to plunder national resources for themselves and their cronies.

As an example, does it make sense when every independent power plant (IPP) makes RM400 million annually? And another, the cow-condominium of National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) would have swept under the carpet while Malaysia is bled dry.

Seen in this light, Malaysiakini has a noble task to do for it is one of the democratic instruments used by the people to monitor the performance of their servants-agents (the government of the day).

Without Malaysiakini , the powers-that-be will be even more autocratic, and the transaction costs even higher still.

Supercession: Yes, close down everything except Utusan , the world's utmost beacon of truth and the envy of all newspapers, including the Washington Post .

Mahashitla: Dzulkarnian, is it unethical to report the truth, like what Malaysiakini journalists are doing? Or is it more ethical to resort to slanders and untruths, like what Utusan did, and be faced with a string of defamation suits?

If Malaysiakini had quoted Utusan's Zaini Hassan out of context, then Zaini should clarify. You can be rest assured that Malaysiakini always provide space for such clarifications as in the case of ex-judge, Mohd Noor Abdullah's seditious speech .

The world around us is moving forward very fast and I find Malaysiakini to be one the most constructive and progressive media. Utusan's reporting is not only counter-productive to nation-building, but will eventually destroy our beloved country.

Odin: Dzulkarnain, to put it bluntly and crudely, and to use a common Malaysian expression, you are nothing but a pathetic "balls carrier".

Further, from your obvious support of Utusan , your idea of good, proper journalism tells us that you are a total disgrace to the profession and would do very well only in countries like Zimbabwe and North Korea.

If Malaysiakini is lopsided, it is so only in the sense that it reports on what the BN-controlled media, which is not averse to fabricating and disseminating false information to flatter the totally unworthy BN politicians and, where appropriate, their spouses, and to incriminate the opposition and dissenters, would never want to publicise.

Thanks to online news portals such as Malaysiakini , the highly corrupt BN has become unable to hoodwink all and sundry. It still succeeds only with morons and balls carriers like you.

Factnot Fiction: Yes good idea, I agree. Why don't deport all Malaysians who disagree with the government, and Malaysia will be left with the 'drained brains' who read and enjoy Utusan ?

The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. Over the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now .