The fourth monkey — Tianya Jianke

May 27, 2010

MAY 27 — I’m quite sure you have all heard of the story of three monkeys.

These three monkeys demonstrate three very different actions: One covering one of its eyes with its hands; the other blocking one of its ears with its hands; while a third gagging its mouth with its hands.

The story tells us not to see what we shouldn’t see, not to hear what we shouldn’t hear, and not to say what we shouldn’t say.

Some photographs were recently published by some Chinese-language websites in which someone turned Sin Chew Daily upside down while in another, a reader suddenly flashed a picture with Sin Chew Daily on it, and a closer look revealed text intentionally crafted to vilify Sin Chew.

To me, these are but promotional gimmick of some newspapers. In the past, whenever some websites or newspapers were trying to boost their sales or protrude themselves, they would do so by smearing Sin Chew Daily in a bid to command the readers’ attention.

These people’s behaviour has made me feel so strongly that there is indeed a need for me to add a fourth monkey to the existing three: one that sports a pair of coloured glasses and with its mouth tilting to a side.

This monkey has been treating Chinese-language newspapers with its own brand of utter prejudice, and its comments almost always leaning towards one side.

The family of Oriental Daily News boss Lau Swee Nguong (father of the BN candidate in Sibu) has been very active in Sarawak politics. During the Sibu by-election, I heard of many stories about the Oriental boss. Based on the criteria of online critics specialising in stories of famous political figures, by right this should make a perfect topic. However, I’ve not seen anyone penning these things.

I don’t believe that Chinese website authors have no clue about these things. The only reason I can think of is that many of them share very close relations with Oriental’s boss, and as a result things involving the cronies should best be covered and blocked.

Compared to print media, websites should enjoy a greater deal of speech freedom. Unfortunately, online writers have not harnessed such freedom to disclose unrighteous and unjust things in our midst. Instead, they have abused the freedom accorded to them hitting hard at other Chinese newspapers which they see as potentially intimidating.

These writers should bank on the freedom to lend their voices to print media writers who dare to voice up against unrighteousness and irregularities. On the contrary, many of them have attempted to magnify the lapses on the part of Sin Chew’s current affairs editors, with Tay Tian Yan, Lim Mun Fah and Lim Sue Goan their pet targets.

After the by-election, some online writers have rushed to conclude that election results show that Chinese Malaysians are no longer in fear of an “Islamic state”.

Such an arbitrary and distorted argument obviously harbours some ill intentions.

A Sibu friend told me: “Chinese Christians in Sibu are most definitely against Islamic state. They voted first to throw out unbearably unjust policies before turning against the Islamic state later.”

My Sibu friends have said Chinese voters in Sibu have consolidated their determination this time. They wanted to deliver a clear and distinct message through their ballots, and would not be swayed by the media’s analytical reports or politicians’ talks.

Chinese online writers should perhaps go down to the street to capture what the Chinese grassroots have to say. — mysinchew.com