Desperado: Whose Calling Other's Contempt?

Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?
You been out ridin' fences for so long now.
Oh you're a hard one,
But I know that you've got your reasons,
These things that are pleasin' you,
Can hurt you somehow.

Don't you draw the queen of diamonds boy,
She'll beat you if she's able,
The queen of hearts is always your best bet,
Now it seems to me some fine things
Have been laid upon your table
But you only want the ones that you can't get.

Desperado, oh you ain't gettin' no younger,
Your pain and your hunger they're drivin' you home,
And freedom, well that's just some people talkin',
Your prison is walkin' through this world all alone.
Don't your feet get cold in the wintertime?
The sky won't snow and the sun won't shine,
It's hard to tell the nighttime from the day.

You're losing all your highs and lows,
Ain't it funny how the feelin' goes away?
Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?
Come down from your fences, open the gate.

It may be rainin',
But there's a rainbow above you,
You gotta let somebody love you, (Let somebody love you)
You better let somebody love you,
Before it's too late.

-- The Eagles, Desperado (1973)


The title of the song is most adequate for my posting today on Who commited subjudice?

I was awaked by an SMS from a gentlemen (during my nap) and reminded by Lubuk Melayu to tell me of a court hearing due Tuesday, January 30th, 2007 with respect to Rocky's case.

The plaintiff lawyer, Shearn Delamore, filed a complain for contempt of court on the online comments on Rocky's blog, ever since the paper were served on Tuesday January 16th, 2007. They claimed the online comments had influenced the court and public. Hahaha...we have a Internet surfing judge that we can influenced?

Anyway, if I could contempt the honourable court, here are some Fodder for Rocky's to give em back a deep cross court top-spin forehand to their left:

1. NST and Berita Harian published on that January 25th court date two articles entitled "Bloggers subject to same rules" and "Pemilik blog tidak ‘kalis’ undang-undang", respectively.

Below is NST's:

Bloggers subject to same rules

Anis Ibrahim

Bloggers are liable for defamation — just as in other forms of communication, lawyers and other experts said.

Kuala Lumpur Bar chairman Lim Chee Wee said statements on the Internet were simply writings in a different medium.

"You can call them blogs, online forums, websites, they’re all subject to the same defamation laws if offending statements are published," he said.

Lim agreed with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who said in London on Tuesday that although bloggers would not be restricted, they could be subject to defamation, sedition and other laws.

"They cannot hide or take advantage of a situation and do something against the law," he said. "I also welcome the prime minister’s statement that blogs will not be censored," Lim said.

Law expert Prof Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi said there was no doubt the rules of defamation applied to blogs and Internet forums.

"The definition of speech covers every form of communication in whatever form, written or symbolic. There is no doubt that bloggers are subject to the same rules."

Asked whether defamation laws in the West were more advanced than Malaysia’s, Shad Saleem said, "In fact we tend to give people much more freedom to defame because we have no privacy laws unlike most Western countries."

Lawyer Datuk Dominic Puthucheary, who has represented a major local publication against defamation, said, "Our laws on defamation should
be governed by Article 10 of the Federal Constitution which provides for freedom of speech, unless limited by Parliament.

" There is no law restricting people on the content of their blogs, he said. But "if something is either spoken or written in a permanent form, it is liable for defamation according to basic common law".

That was his advice to a politician on a statement that had been taken from the Internet and broadcast.

Puthucheary also drew a line between private and public individuals: "A defamatory statement against a private person is actionable," he said.

"When it comes to public interest issues and the conduct of public officers, it is not defamatory in some jurisdictions unless there is reckless disregard for the truth. But it is still an open question here."

The former Member of Parliament said the legislature should draft laws to deal with defamation in the "new forms of communication".

Lawyer Nahendran Navaratnam agreed that legislative changes were needed "to ensure that protection is given both to bloggers and those who are the subject of discussion on the Internet".

National Union of Journalists president Norila Mohd Daud said it was logical that defamation laws would apply to blog postings.

"Right now our laws do not cover blogs or online forums, but I think it’s simple logic that a defamatory statement can reach the public via any medium, by newspapers, magazines or the Internet."

Norila also agreed that bloggers had to exercise caution on their websites.

"It is true that bloggers have to be responsible. You can express your opinions but we have to see it from the point of view of the people who are named," she said.

And, Berita Harian's:

Pemilik blog tidak ‘kalis’ undang-undang

KUALA LUMPUR: Pelbagai pihak berpendapat tindakan undang-undang terhadap pengendali laman forum atau blog di internet, tidak akan menjejaskan hak kebebasan bersuara atau bermaklumat di negara ini.

Mereka berpendapat, tindakan itu malah dapat membantu memastikan pengendali laman forum atau blog supaya lebih bertanggungjawab terhadap kandungan bahan yang disiarkan bagi mengelak sebarang implikasi negatif.

Ia berikutan tindakan pengendali blog yang menyebarkan fitnah tanpa bukti kukuh boleh memberi implikasi negatif besar bukan saja kepada individu atau sesebuah organisasi, tetapi juga negara.

Presiden Majlis Peguam Malaysia, Yeo Yang Poh, berkata sebarang bentuk sebaran fitnah sama ada dari segi percakapan atau penulisan boleh dikenakan tindakan mengikut Akta Hasutan.

Beliau berkata, mangsa yang difitnah sendiri perlu membuktikan bahawa sebaran terbabit mempunyai unsur fitnah sebelum proses pendakwaan di mahkamah boleh dibuat.

Presiden Persatuan Peguam Syarie Malaysia, Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar, berkata tindakan undang-undang terhadap pengendali laman forum atau blog boleh dibuat kerana kebebasan bersuara bukan sesuatu yang mutlak dan perlu mempunyai had.

“Jika kebebasan bersuara sehingga menafikan hak orang lain, itu tidak betul dan dalam Islam sendiri, kesalahan memfitnah itu adalah lebih berat daripada membunuh,” katanya.

Kelmarin, Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi berkata pemilik laman forum atau blog tidak bebas daripada dikenakan tindakan undang-undang serta harus bertanggungjawab terhadap apa yang mereka lakukan.

Perdana Menteri berkata, walaupun kerajaan berpegang kepada dasar tidak menapis kandungan di internet, pengendali blog harus memahami ada undang-undang fitnah dan hasutan yang boleh dikuatkuasakan.

“Mereka tidak boleh menyembunyikan diri atau mengambil kesempatan melakukan sesuatu melanggar undang-undang. Mereka harus tahu dan tidak boleh melindungi serta berharap dilindungi engan
perlindungan tertentu.

Abdullah berkata, media sama ada cetak, elektronik dan internet termasuk pemilik laman blog mempunyai tanggungjawab dan beliau tidak mahu wujud kebebasan tanpa tanggungjawab kerana ia akan membawa kehancuran.

Perdana Menteri berkata demikian mengulas tindakan The New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd (NSTP) dan pegawai kanannya memfailkan saman fitnah terhadap Ahirudin Attan dan Ooi Chuan Aun berhubung beberapa artikel dalam laman blog mereka.

NSTP dan plaintif lain – Timbalan Pengerusinya, Datuk Kalimullah Hassan; Ketua Eksekutif, Datuk Syed Faisal Albar; Ketua Pengarang Kumpulan, Datuk Hishamuddin Aun dan bekas Pengarang Kumpulan New Straits Times (NST), Brendan Pereira, memfailkan saman itu di Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur, 4 Januari lalu.

Mengikut laporan akhbar, kedua-dua saman fitnah itu dikemukakan berhubung beberapa artikel dan komen yang disiarkan atau dibenarkan untuk disiarkan oleh Ahirudin dan Ooi dalam laman blog masing-masing.

Sementara itu, seorang peguam, Hasnal Rezua Merican berkata, pengendali blog tidak boleh berpendirian bahawa mereka beroperasi dengan mendapat kebebasan mutlak tanpa mengendahkan undang-undang negara.

“Ia sama dengan penulis buku yang masih tertakluk kepada Akta Fitnah. Ini tidak bermakna, kalau disaman kerana melanggar undang-undang mereka boleh mempertikaikan kononnya ia melanggar hak kebebasan bersuara,” katanya.

Beliau berkata, kalau pengendali blog meminta imuniti seperti itu atas nama kebebasan bersuara, ia boleh menyebabkan penyebaran fitnah berleluasa seterusnya mencetus pelbagai masalah.

2. Now, since we are talking contempt of court, how about Sun's "Dangers of misusing blogs" and The Star's "Defamation suit to test the limits of freedom of speech in cyberspace" on January 20th, 2007. The more the merrier?

3. Why not one more interested party namely; the PM himself? Walk with us made a good case here. His comment from London came out in all the local papers and even international coverage in Straits Times, Singapore, South China Morning Post, Hong Kong, Sydney Herald Tribune, Australia, Asia Media, and thats just a few I know of.

4. By the way, since we are going to do more exchanges before the actual injunction and defamation hearing and trial, Rocky and perhaps Jeff (Jeff could appeal his Exparte Injuction, could he, Malik?) could do a counter suit for a "reverse" defamation. I take excerpt from NST 27th news report "NSTP wants postings in blogs removed" below:

KUALA LUMPUR: Blogger Ahirudin Attan, who is slapped with a defamation and malicious falsehood suit, continues to display comments from his readers that are prejudicial to the case.

Was the word "allegedly precudicial" used? Is the description
"malicious falsehood" the legal term for the suit? Venomous? Definately ular ada banyak...

There you go, Rocky and Jeff. I'll post the various articles and news mentioned in the commentaries later. Much much later.

Now back to my nap...

Before its too late.

A Voice
Dreamland Somewhere
January 27th, 2007 1:00 a.m.

UPDATE:

PM in a Sunday Interview on Sunday Times today January 28th and interviewed by Dato Hishamuddin Aun could be considered committing another contempt of court. The excerpt as follows:

Q: But do you think the criticism against you has gone overboard? If previously there were people who disagreed with certain matters the leaders did, the government did, today there seems to be more integrated efforts from a particular group to discredit you. This is most evident in cyberspace. Why is this happening?

A: Seems that these people are captivated by these tools, the SMS, electronic media.

They feel they are free, they cannot be disturbed and they can say whatever they wish to say. They do it (post comments) anonymously.

This sort of freedom had made them resort to such action (of spreading lies and making unfounded allegations).

Even bloggers or those who maintain websites use this opportunity to create stories. Lies after lies are being told. To them, everything is not right, everything is not good.

If I allow myself to be distracted by all this, I will not be able to do any work. That is what they want, that I not focus on my work.

My focus now is to ensure the 9MP is successful and I am confident that the nation is on the right track and is moving forward.

The economy is expected to grow. I feel more energised to fulfil Malaysians’ ambitions.

A more compresed reporting on Berita Minggu's "Tak gugat tumpuan PM". Excerpt below:

Beliau berkata, pengendali blog atau laman web menggunakan kesempatan mereka membuat pelbagai cerita.

“Bohong demi bohong dilakukan. Pada mereka, semuanya tak betul, semuanya tak baik. Kalau saya membenarkan diri saya diganggu sepanjang masa, saya tak akan dapat buat kerja. Itulah sebenarnya yang mereka mahu lakukan, supaya saya tak dapat tumpukan pada kerja,” katanya.

Perdana Menteri berkata, ada segelintir yang kini ghairah dengan perantaraan moden seperti khidmat pesanan ringkas (SMS), media elektronik, pengendali blog atau laman web kerana tidak perlu mendedahkan nama dan berasa mereka bebas.

Still preaching us to dream 9MP but year in year out nightmarish reality. I am sure economy is expected to grow in his dreamland of high inflation, VSS, and no growing sector. I am awake and on terra firma today. Is he?

A Voice
Kuala Lumpur
January 28th, 2007 10:00 a.m.