16 Mar 11 | Index Index, minipost, News and features
Irwan Abdul Raman, a blogger and editor better known as “Hassan Skodeng”, who was facing a one year prison sentence and a hefty fine for writing a satirical blog, has had the charges against him dropped. He had been accused of publishing online content deemed “obscene, indecent, false, menacing or offensive in character with malicious intent”. He had published a satirical article on his blog claiming that the main electricity firm, Tenaga Nasional Berhad, would allegedly sue the environmental group World Wildlife Fund for urging people to switch off their lights for the annual Earth Hour initiative.
19 Oct 10 | Index Index, minipost
Microsoft is extending its program of giving free software licences to non-profit organisations. The initiative was first applied to Russia, after it was discovered that authorities were using software piracy inquiries as a method of suppressing independent media outlets and advocacy groups. The program will now include 500,000 NGOs in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, China, Malaysia, and Vietnam. Prior to the announcement NGOs could only obtain a free licence if they were aware of the program and followed the necessary procedure. According to Microsoft’s official blog announcement, the unilateral licence will last until 2012.
28 Sep 10 | Index Index, minipost
A cartoonist is under investigation on suspicion of sedition. Zulkifli Awar Ulhaque, more commonly known as Zunar, was arrested on 26 September just hours before the launch of his new book — a collection of satirical political cartoons. Zunar was released on bail, but has gone into hiding for fear of being detained under the Internal Security Act. Most of the drawings in Zunar’s book Cartoon-O-Phobia have already been published on popular news site Malaysiakini, to which the cartoonist is a regular contributor.
06 Sep 10 | Index Index, minipost
Irwan Abdul Rahman, a Malaysian editor and blogger known as “Hassan Skodeng” was charged on 2 September 2010 with publishing false information on his satirical blog. He was accused of publishing online content deemed “obscene, indecent, false, menacing or offensive in character with malicious intent.” He pleaded not guilty and was later released after posting bail of RM4,000 (approx. US$1,285).
Rahman’s blog article, “TNB to sue WWF over earth hour” posted in March this year claimed that the head of Malaysia’s main electricity firm, Tenaga Nasional, would allegedly sue the environmental group World Wildlife Fund “for urging people to switch off their lights for the annual Earth Hour initiative”. It was taken down two days after it was published.
