The Social Reality of the Malaysian Blogosphere
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June 12, 2011 12:39 Research Publishing : IJAS Sample ijas-0403 International Journal of Arts & Sciences, CD-ROM. ISSN: 1944-6934 :: 4(3):239-252 (2011) Copyright c 2011 by InternationalJournal.org THE SOCIAL REALITY OF THE MALAYSIAN BLOGOSPHERE Abdul Latiff Ahmad Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia This paper explores the social reality of blogging in Malaysia. The presence of blogs has created a change in terms of the flow of communication and how information is obtained, shared and accessed. With a Malaysian customized framework of press freedom and strong emphasis on the multicultural values and religion, there are various factors to be considered before one decides what to write in a blog. Thus this study aims at discussing three key components of blogging as a new media technology and how its presence has opened up new avenues of interaction and created an impact to not only the individuals at hand but also the reading audience. The key issues explored are issues related to identity, interaction and empowerment. These key issues were later analyzed using a thematic matrix schema which highlights six key themes that consist of disclosure: public vs. private debates, voice and expression, virtual environment, personal growth and life changing experiences, relationship and support systems and the influential power. Twenty Malaysian bloggers between the ages of 21-35 were interviewed for this research. The participating respondents write in blogs of various genres that include politics, humor, daily lives and entertainment. Keywords: blogosphere, blogging, empowerment, Malaysia. INTRODUCTION The development of Computer Mediated Communication such as e mails, bulletin boards, blogs and etc. has allowed communication to take place in cyberspace without physical contacts. Over the past years, Malaysians are engaging themselves more into virtual communities and online interactions. Some had led to positive outcomes and some of these virtual arenas had been exploited tarnishing the true potential of the Internet. The study focuses on issues relating to the social reality of the Malaysian blogosphere. It explores the reality that exists within this new platform of interaction. The term social reality explores issues related to identity and the interaction that takes place within the realm. It also examines how blogging has actually contributed towards empowerment of the individuals. It is the exploration of the new world of interaction and what the new world has done to the bloggers. The blog culture has been gaining popularity in Malaysia creating a new breed of Malaysians with revolutionary ideas and thoughts and also more opinionated Malaysians. Internet penetration is also gradually increasing. In 2009, the International Telecommunication Union reported that there were slightly more than 16.9 million Internet users in Malaysia which account for almost 65.7% of the population. The number is impressive for a developing country like Malaysia. 239 June 12, 2011 12:39 Research Publishing : IJAS Sample ijas-0403 240 Abdul Latiff Ahmad How do bloggers carry their own identity online? Are they using blog as a manipulative tool or do they feel that their identity is empowered upon entering the virtual realm? An important issue to explore is whether an individual is truly genuine in the real world or are there even more genuine in the virtual world. There have been cases where individuals feel trapped in the real world, not being able to show their true identity and sort to the virtual scene to express their true identity. I also look at the virtual community as an interaction of identities. Both complement each other’s existence. The existence of technology has enabled individuals to enter a very different form of cyber social contract. The rise of virtual communities has led to the existence a new breed of Malaysian who undergoes a transformation of identity upon getting online. Do bloggers prefer to remain anonymous or are we really creating more opinionated Malaysians who are willing to take full opportunities of the technology as a libertarian means of expressing themselves. There is a need to study the rise and role of the new media as since its introduction, it has impacted the social life of many Malaysians. The research objectives for my research are as follows; 1. To study whether there exist an empowerment of identity in virtual relations. 2. To analyze the impact of virtual interactions to the individuals The research questions are as follows; 1. How does technology (blogging) empowers identity and culturally constructs societies in the virtual world? 2. How do identities, values and interactions that take place in the virtual realm? OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS A blog is basically a journal that is available on the web. The activity of updating a blog is ‘blogging’ and someone who keeps a blog is a ‘blogger’. Blogs are typically updated daily using software that allows people with little or no technical background to update and maintain the blog. Postings on a blog are always arranged in chronological order with the most recent additions featured most prominently (www.matisse.net). The Merriam-Webster defined a blog as a web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks provided by the writer. Identity is a set of behavioral or personal characteristics by which an individual is recognizable as a member of a group. It is also the distinct personality of an individual regarded as a persisting entity; individuality. Castells (2004) defined Identity as people’s source of meaning and experience. Empowerment is defined by Page and Czuba (1999) as a multi-dimensional social process that helps people gain control over their own lives. It is a process that fosters power (that is, the capacity to implement) in people, for use in their own lives, their communities, and in their society, by acting on issues that they define as important. MALAYSIA AND BLOGS Malaysia consists of a multicultural society. The Government’s Population and Vital Statistics Report indicated that the main ethnics in Malaysia are Malays (which includes bumiputeras), June 12, 2011 12:39 Research Publishing : IJAS Sample ijas-0403 The Social Reality of the Malaysian Blogosphere 241 Chinese and Indian which makes up to 66.9%, 24.4% and 7.4% respectively of the population of Malaysia. There are a lot of different religions being practiced in Malaysia which include Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, Hindu and etc. This creates not only a multicultural country but one with people practicing different faiths and beliefs The Malaysian framework on press freedom allows Malaysians to have a freedom of speech however the freedom is subjected to the Federal Constitution. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights stated that “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” Malaysia positions itself as a country that practices the freedom of speech. It also emphasized the need for monitoring and control as things that are said and published could cause harm to individuals or affect national security. Article 10 (a) of the Federal Constitution stated that every citizen has the right to freedom of speech however it is subjected to clause 2, 3 and 4 of the article. The government emphasizes on the importance of intercultural and religious harmony between the various different cultural and religious groups... Blogs in Malaysia are bounded by various regulations in Malaysia. Among the regulations that bloggers would have to adhere too are Internal Security Act (1960), Official Secrets Act (1972), Defamation Act (1957), Sedition Act 1948 (Amended in 1969), Copyright Act 1987 and Copyright (Amendment) Act 1987, Cyber Laws of Malaysia, Communications and Multimedia Act (1998)- Content Code & The Printing Presses and Publications Act (1984) (Ahmad, Mohamad et al. 2006). The Multimedia and Communication Commission of Malaysia had also prepared a Content Code which described the proper content and materials allowed to be shown for public viewing. For example, issues regarding sexuality needs to go through censorship board. Thus displaying of sexual contents such as pornographies is illegal in Malaysia. Below are some recent developments on blogs in Malaysia over these past few years: The Star newspaper in February 2007 reported that there are over 10,000 blogs in Malaysia. The Sabahan research of the Top 50 Bloggers in Malaysia indicated that 28% of them write about personal stuff while 16% write about politics. A first defamation suit was also brought by New Straits Times of Malaysia (an established print media in Malaysia) towards two critical bloggers in Malaysia, Jeff Ooi Screenshots and Rocky Bru (Utusan, 2007). The rise of blogs has caused a stir in Malaysia. Members of Parliament have even demanded that blogs be regulated and that blog users need to register their account to the government (Utusan, 2007). Various genres of blogs are coming out in Malaysia and it covers not only politics, entertainment or bloggers who write about personal stuff but it also contains those who write about sexual experiences as well. In recent developments, Dr. Abu Hassan Hasbullah through a research conducted, claims that there are over 500,000 blogs in Malaysia which puts Malaysia just behind European Union and Indonesia (Utusan, April 2008). He also concluded on the power that the blog has in terms of influencing peoples mind especially in terms of politics. In the recent 2008 General election, blog was mentioned to play a strong role in influencing opinions and decisions on who to vote. Since the election, we have seen initiative with Radio Televisyen Malaysia having a program slot titled Blog@1 to discuss issues with bloggers and to have a better relationship among bloggers, the government and the community. Other developments in the Malaysian blogging chronicle include the previous Prime Minister, Tun Mahathir Mohammed launching his blog site at www.chedet.cc.