NEWS: Chinese portals have a field day

THE Chinese newspapers have always been seen to be more vocal and sensational compared with their English, Tamil or Bahasa Malaysia counterparts.

Government leaders, especially former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, often cited the Chinese newspapers as an example of freedom of the media whenever foreign reporters asked about the muzzling of local media.

However, if the politicians think that the Chinese mainstream newspapers are “free”, then they should read the news portals and blogs in cyber space.

It is a relatively new phenomenon but the Chinese reading public has embraced these Internet writers and commentators in a way never seen before. Many of them, especially the bloggers, have attained cult status.

Some attribute the rise of the Chinese portals and bloggers to the time when the credibility of the Chinese newspapers was being questioned. This was in 2001 when Nanyang Siang Pau – then a conservative Chinese daily – was purchased by the MCA from Hong Leong Holdings Bhd.

Others believe that it was when almost all the mainstream Chinese newspapers headquartered in the Klang Valley came under the single ownership of Sarawak timber and publishing tycoon Tan Sri Tiong Hiew King. This was about three years ago.

But it is most probably the advent of Internet technology that led to it, with blogsites like www.blogspot.com and www.wordpress.com making it easier for anyone to set up their own personal sites over the past two years.

Much as we hate to admit it, the improved Internet service in the country has given rise to news portals like MalaysiaKini, which introduced a Chinese language site in July 2005.

But the most popular local Chinese news portal is without doubt MerdekaReview, which was started by a former Sin Chew reporter a month after MalaysiaKini’s Chinese venture. These two portals are still run by journalists who maintain a certain level of journalistic standards.

However, there are other sites which are more forum-like in nature (www.malaysiafreenews.com and thefreemedia.com) where everyone and anyone is welcome to put in comments, gossip, rumours and a fair number of accurately-sourced stories. These sites have the tagline “everyone is editor-in-chief, reporter and writer”.

However, quite a number of the entries are planted; they are spiteful if not defamatory, but those who see through the ruse will go on the attack.

The March 8 general election not only brought forth a political tsunami but it also created a tidal wave of new Chinese news portals and bloggers who concentrate 100% on political news.

Sensing that more and more Chinese readers are turning to cyberspace, politicians from both sides of the political divide have also set up their own blogs and websites. Some of them, including MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, are now even releasing statements exclusively through their blogs or websites.

‘Professional gunfighters’

Besides Ong, other MCA politicians who have their own sites are his estranged deputy Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, youth wing secretary-general Datuk Chai Kim Sen, Federal Territory youth chief Chew Lian Kheng and youth vocational training bureau head Lau Chin Kok.

Also blogging in Chinese are DAP’s Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong and Kampung Tunku Assemblyman Lau Weng San.

Politicians are also known to have employed “professional gunfighters” who come out with blogs and websites to attack their enemies but their bias is pretty obvious and readers often see through it.

However, the websites and blogs of politicians are not as popular as those helmed by serving and former journalists.

Among them is Oriental Daily deputy news editor and political writer Lum Chih Feng who blogs on www.oceanlum.wordpress.com. His site has become so popular that he is often invited to give his views on various political issues at Chinese language forums.

It helps that he works for a newspaper that is perceived to be more independent as it does not belong to Tiong.

Other well-known bloggers are former China Press reporter Lim V Kiong, former editor-in-chief of Sin Bin Daily Cheah See Kian and former editor-in-chief of Nanyang Siang Pau Teo Bak Kim.

Chinese political bloggers are unique compared to their English and Malay counterparts because their writings are published elsewhere, including portals like MalaysiaKini as well as the Chinese newspapers.

Their articles are very current and usually on a topic of concern to the Chinese community. In the past month, they have been writing about the A(H1N1) flu outbreak, the Teoh Beng Hock inquest, the soured relationship between Ong and Dr Chua and the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ).

These writers pull no punches and say it as they see fit.

However, in the past three days, these blogs have all been about the war of words between Ong and Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, who is the CEO of Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd – the turnkey developer of the PKFZ project.

Datuk Seri Tiong’s sensational claim that he had given RM10mil to Ong for party activities are stuff political commentators dream of, especially since they are both from the Barisan Nasional. Kuala Dimensi deputy CEO Datuk Faisal Abdullah also accused Ong of using the company’s private jet on five occasions without paying.

They have also given equal treatment to Ong’s reply and threat to sue the Bintulu MP and Barisan Backbenchers Club chairman.

These writers make full use of their command of Mandarin to give flowery descriptions of what they see as a “war between two giants”. Some do not even hide their bias and openly express their opinions as to who they think is telling the truth.

They are also openly rubbing their hands in glee and writing that they “could not wait for the next instalment of the quarrel between the two community leaders”.

Blogger Ng Sway Hua (www.ngswayhua.blogspot) posted a picture of Pinocchio with a long nose and the caption “who is telling lies?” on the main page of his blog.

“Do high ranking people tell lies? At this moment, is Dr Chua laughing? Can he laugh till the end?” wrote Ng, who is a UUM graduate from Penang.

Dr Chua has been dragged into the spat between Ong and Tiong because he is seen by these commentators as a beneficiary if the issue continues.

A visitor to the www.polibug.blog spot.com wrote: “You seem to be in a very good mood today.’’

The comment was made right after Datuk Seri Tiong made his accusations against Ong, and it is not surprising that the owner of polibug is none other than Howard Lim who is the MCA Batu Pahat youth deputy secretary and that Batu Pahat is the fortress of Dr Chua.

Lim had posted the flight schedules of Kuala Dimensi’s private jet even as the accusations were thrown at Ong. He seemed to know what was coming.

It has been non-stop politicking in the country since March 8 last year and without doubt, the Chinese blogsphere will have plenty of articles to keep their readers coming back for more.