MCMC to block websites promoting, spreading info on Bersih 4

KUALA LUMPUR – Two days ahead of the highly-anticipated Bersih 4 rally, Malaysia’s Internet regulator announced it will block access to any website “spreading information” about the mammoth street rally planned to take place in three cities throughout the country to last for 34 hours from Saturday to Sunday.

In a statement on its official Facebook page today (Aug 27), the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said its action is a follow-up to a previous statement by the Home Ministry against the Bersih 4 rally.

“MCMC has decided to block any websites that promote, spreading information and encourage the public to join Bersih 4.0 [sic] rally, that can affect the stability of the country, following the media statement by Home Ministry,” it said.

The MCMC also asked the public to forward any websites or social media accounts that are believed to be spreading content that can “affect the stability of the country, public order and the economy”.

It is unsure if the directive will similarly affect news publications and blogs that have reported on the overnight rally.

Malay Mail Online has contacted MCMC for further details and is awaiting a response.

Aside from United Malays National Organisation (UMNO)-owned daily Utusan Malaysia, UMNO leaders and ministers such as Dr Salleh Said Keruak and Mr Abdul Rahman Dahlan are among those who have written about Bersih 4 in their blogs or social media channels.

Only two days ago, Dr Salleh who is also communications and multimedia minister gave an assurance that MCMC will only monitor websites and blogs that publicise Bersih 4, and pledged to not erect jamming towers to block phone and data signals during the rally.

Last week, Prime Minister Najib Razak had announced that plans to regulate the Internet are in the pipeline to prevent the spread of “insults and untruths”.

The prime minister said Putrajaya was well aware of the criticism it faced on the Internet but claimed that unlike other countries, Malaysia has not resorted to muzzling government critics.

Bersih 2.0’s latest rally, dubbed “Bersih 4”, will go on this weekend in Kuala Lumpur, Kuching in Sarawak, Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, and several other cities across the globe.

The five demands of the rally are clean elections; Clean government; right to dissent; strengthening parliamentary democracy and saving the economy. MALAY MAIL ONLINE