Bloggers: Be open if you want to have a say

I REFER to the commentary on bloggers, "Liars hiding behind the cyber curtain" (NST, July 13) by Tunku Abdul Aziz.

For a long time now, there has been a growing credibility gap between the government and the governed in Malaysia, with the latter thinking that they have not always been given the correct or complete information on matters in the public domain that affect their daily lives.

It is because of this credibility gap that most bloggers have received such a warm welcome from Malaysians, especially since the March 8 general election.

There are, of course, bloggers and bloggers. Not all are bad; some are pretty good and well-intentioned, but time will certainly expose what the rest are up to. These are what I term "fast and furious" bloggers. They seem to enjoy their empowerment as cyber activists, but they insist on and enjoy this right without bothering about the attendant responsibilities.

I think it is time the bloggers stopped hiding behind the cyber curtain. If any blogger has something to say, he or she should say it in their name, not behind a pen name or nom de plume, and do so fully aware of the liabilities and limits that go with this right to publish and disseminate information.

Secondly, it is time for government leaders to work towards closing the credibility gap that is widening between the government and the governed. Perhaps a Freedom of Information Act is in order.

-TMB