Malaysia
Newspaper reporters bring defamation suits againstPosted Jan 25 2007
A national debate on bloggers’ defamation liability continues after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad said bloggers would not be restricted but could be “subject to defamation, sedition and other laws,” according to the New Straits Times online.
The statement comes after a government crackdown on bloggers’ rights and a lawsuit filed against two bloggers by several New Straits Times staffers claiming they were defamed on the blogs Screenshots, run by Jeff Ooi, and Rocky’s Bru, run by Ahiruddin Attan.
Both Ooi and Attan continue their blogs, commenting on the suits against them and updating readers on upcoming hearings. “I am a responsible blogger,” says Attan on his website at rockybru.blogspot.com. “Anyone who comes into this blog can click on my profile and know who I am. I do not hide behind any kind of ‘cover.’ From the first day I started blogging, I have been using my own name. Not a nickname. And I have always encouraged friends to use their own names for their blogs. There's no shame. No Fear.” A strike-down hearing and injunction hearing are both scheduled for Feb. 22.
http://www.jeffooi.com
http://rockybru.blogspot.com