Information technology
One up for Dr Yee Moh Chai
Federal ministry says it will look into free access to satellite TV
Deputy Chief Minister Dr Yee Moh Chai has scored his first moral victory after he took up the cudgel on behalf of those who want free access to information on satellite television. Kamaruddin Siaraf, secretary-general of the federal information, communications and culture ministry, says he is preparing a cabinet paper on the pros and cons of allowing Malaysians such information after an internet survey conducted by Dr Yee shows that they are almost unanimous in wanting it. The decision, Kamaruddin says, rests with the federal cabinet.
Dr Yee, who is also minister of resource development and information technology, set up the on-line poll on December 7 after he was incensed by customs seizure of 193 parabolic antennae used to receive foreign TV programmes in homes. So far almost all of the 6,400 respondents say they want the freedom to install parabolic antennae.
Customs officials said the seized antennae were smuggled into Sabah from Indonesia and they had not been deemed safe to use by the Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (Sirim).
Except for subscribers to Astro, Malaysia’s only satellite TV, Malaysians are banned from owning devices to view foreign TV programmes. But Kamaruddin says hotels, embassies and certain companies which he has not specified are exempted from the ban.
Remote villagers who are unable to receive Malaysian TV broadcasts are allowed to use parabolic antennae to view foreign programmes on their television, according to Kamaruddin. But they make up only 2% of Malaysia’s 28m people.
Kamaruddin says allowing free access to Malaysians of more than 600 foreign TV channels would pose social problems for the young. “We have to think of our children.”
Sociologists and communications experts say such fear is unfounded and raises the question of who is responsible for parenting.
“Unless, of course, Malaysia is a nanny state,” says a sociologist who does not want to be named.
Internet experts cite the difficulty of authoritarian governments in banning their citizens from accessing “undesirable” websites. They note that there are millions of free proxy websites that allow them to circumvent the ban.
They say that Malaysia, despite having vowed to allow unfettered internet access, is one of 15 countries (including Singapore) which have banned internet pornography. Yet, Malaysians are able to view internet porn through free proxy servers. – Insight Sabah
Posted on December 20, 2011
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