Matured People, Press Freedom and Public Space

Amidst the calls for more freedom of the press and the clamoring for more “public space”, one important pre-requisite seems to have been forgotten – the presence of matured people. For without them, all the freedom and space would not mean anything.

Matured people, at least to me, are the thinking populace who are able to discern the truths from the spins and slants irrespective of the source of the news, comments, etc. as opposed to those who see the truths only in things published, relayed, etc. by or from a source where their biases lie and condemned all others as untruths.

Matured people are also those who can discuss or debate issues rationally and not get emotional and behave like a bigot.

The question then arises whether Malaysian society is a matured one. At my own risk, I venture this answer – No, I think it is less so, the maturity that is.

Remember the infamous April Fool story in Malaysiakini? What was meant primarily as an April Fool joke and with a secondary aim of “generating public discussion on the issue of corruption…” (Malaysiakini Apr 1, 05 5:20pm), the “news” piece was condemned by some, including threats to call in the police to investigate and suggestions that the online newspaper be banned. Matured people, this lot?

At the other end, supporters were also in their element. One vent his anger in a letter published in Malaysiakini about the “big fuss” over the story and how the “authorities stifle the media…..” and concluded with this paragraph -

So what happen if malaysiakini was shut down as it was once before. Keep up the good work please or else we will be lost, immature, stupid, ignorance, arrogant and uncivilised - just like the Malaysian authorities! (text bold by me)

Phew! Never knew that non-Malaysiakini readers were lost, immature, stupid and all.

More seriously, can you say this sort of comment displays maturity of thought.

And if you are a frequent visitor to the Malaysian Blogsphere, you would probably have also seen immaturity rearing its head in some of the comments. A waste of the interactive aspect of the blogging world which is a “public sphere” of sort. Yet we go on complaining that we are denied space.

You know, sometimes that taxi driver or that barber or that guy you meet at the Mamak stall or Kopi Tiam makes more sense and are more rational. Maybe I should shift to this side of the public sphere.