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Saturday, June 18, 2011
RM1.8mil … for a Facebook page?
By Joseph Sipalan
June 14, 2011
MalaysiaKini
The Tourism Ministry came under fire again today, as MPs questioned why it had spent RM1.8 million to start and maintain its Facebook page – yet another on the list of controversial projects.
Anthony Loke (DAP-Rasah) slammed the decision to use so much money when the social networking site can be used free of charge.
“On my last check, there are 20,308 fans on the ministry’s Facebook page. Comparably, the ‘Visit Penang’ Facebook page, for which the Penang government did not spend a sen, got over 100,000 fans. Why spend RM1.8 million?” he asked during Question Time.
Loke said it is hard to believe that not one person in the ministry has knowledge of how to maintain or update a Facebook account.
He stressed that the Tourism Ministry could have easily sought advice from various parties, including BN and opposition MPs, many of whom are ardent users of social networking sites.
“You don’t even have to ask members on this side (opposition). There are those among the backbenchers, such as Kota Belud and Rembau… they can come in as consultants,” he said, referring to Umno MPs Abdul Rahman Dahlan and Khairy Jamaluddin, who are both heavy Twitter users.
Deputy Tourism Minister James Dawos Mamit said the budget covers the cost of hosting various activities on the Facebook page, including six interactive Flash applications, development and maintenance work and advertising, which was tendered out to a company, Impact Creations Sdn Bhd, on a three-year contract from 2011-2013.
James, who stood in for Minister Ng Yen Yen despite being sick and suffering a sore throat, added that the ministry spent nearly RM300,000 to develop each of the six applications on their Facebook page.
‘It looks like a waste of money’
Khairy, in a supplementary question, agreed with Loke that the RM1.8 million budget “looks like a waste” of funds, stressing that the low interest in the ministry’s Facebook page is not reflective of the expenditure.
He acknowledged that it would take money to maintain the page and its various activities, but insisted that by engaging a company to focus on promotional work, there should already be big returns.
“Currently there are 2,013 ‘likes’, and the page design is nothing extraordinary. It’s only using the same template. We don’t even have to look at the Penang tourism page; some of the MPs here are even more popular,” he said, while asking how the ministry will measure the success of its campaign.
James pointed out that Impact Creations was engaged to run an advertising campaign to promote domestic tourism, particularly among Generation Y Malaysians who are generally more tech-savvy.
He said the success of the ministry’s social networking campaign, including advertising, will be measured based on the national return of investment in terms of an increase in domestic tourists.
June 14, 2011
MalaysiaKini
The Tourism Ministry came under fire again today, as MPs questioned why it had spent RM1.8 million to start and maintain its Facebook page – yet another on the list of controversial projects.
Anthony Loke (DAP-Rasah) slammed the decision to use so much money when the social networking site can be used free of charge.
“On my last check, there are 20,308 fans on the ministry’s Facebook page. Comparably, the ‘Visit Penang’ Facebook page, for which the Penang government did not spend a sen, got over 100,000 fans. Why spend RM1.8 million?” he asked during Question Time.
Loke said it is hard to believe that not one person in the ministry has knowledge of how to maintain or update a Facebook account.
He stressed that the Tourism Ministry could have easily sought advice from various parties, including BN and opposition MPs, many of whom are ardent users of social networking sites.
“You don’t even have to ask members on this side (opposition). There are those among the backbenchers, such as Kota Belud and Rembau… they can come in as consultants,” he said, referring to Umno MPs Abdul Rahman Dahlan and Khairy Jamaluddin, who are both heavy Twitter users.
Deputy Tourism Minister James Dawos Mamit said the budget covers the cost of hosting various activities on the Facebook page, including six interactive Flash applications, development and maintenance work and advertising, which was tendered out to a company, Impact Creations Sdn Bhd, on a three-year contract from 2011-2013.
James, who stood in for Minister Ng Yen Yen despite being sick and suffering a sore throat, added that the ministry spent nearly RM300,000 to develop each of the six applications on their Facebook page.
‘It looks like a waste of money’
Khairy, in a supplementary question, agreed with Loke that the RM1.8 million budget “looks like a waste” of funds, stressing that the low interest in the ministry’s Facebook page is not reflective of the expenditure.
He acknowledged that it would take money to maintain the page and its various activities, but insisted that by engaging a company to focus on promotional work, there should already be big returns.
“Currently there are 2,013 ‘likes’, and the page design is nothing extraordinary. It’s only using the same template. We don’t even have to look at the Penang tourism page; some of the MPs here are even more popular,” he said, while asking how the ministry will measure the success of its campaign.
James pointed out that Impact Creations was engaged to run an advertising campaign to promote domestic tourism, particularly among Generation Y Malaysians who are generally more tech-savvy.
He said the success of the ministry’s social networking campaign, including advertising, will be measured based on the national return of investment in terms of an increase in domestic tourists.
Gov’t portals paralysed by Anonymous hackers group
By Kuek Ser Kuang Keng
Jun 16, 11 | MalaysiaKini
Since late yesterday, at least 10 websites of government agencies had been inaccessible due to an attack by hackers, in retaliation for the government’s earlier decision to block file-sharing websites.
hacked parliamentLast night the hackers, who call themselves Anonymous, published a list of 18 government websites which had been allegedly hit by DDoS (Distributed Denial-of-Service) attack or switched off by the website administrator.
A check by Malaysiakini at 7am today found that at least nine websites, including the flagship portal of Malaysia government MyGovernment (www.malaysia.gov.my), were still down.
Others were Sabah tourism, Asean connect, the Fire and Rescue Department, the Treasury, Parliament, Jobs Malaysia, the Information, Communication and Culture Ministry, and the National Sports Council.
The official website of the Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia (CIDB) was also reported to have been defaced last night.
Acccording to netizens who published a screen capture of the hacked website, the original footer had been replaced with a statement protesting the earlier blockade of websites.
hacked malaysia government“Greetings, Malaysia, We have seen the censorship taken by the Malaysian government, blocking sites like The Pirate Bay, and WikiLeaks. Malaysia is one of the world’s strictest governments, even blocking out movies, and television shows.
“These acts of censorship are inexcusable. You are taking away a basic human right. The Internet is here for freedom, without fear of government interference. Do not think that no one else notices,” read the statement.
It also said that the attack is a “sign, a warning, and an opportunity to listen to ideas above your own” and the hackers “are obligated to act fast and have no mercy”.
However the CIDB website had recovered by 7am.
hacked sabah tourismLast week, the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) had announced that 10 websites including Pirate Bay and Megaupload had been blocked for infringing copyright laws.
Subsequently the hackers uploaded a short clip on video-sharing website YouTube, threatening to attack government websites from today in retaliation over the ban.
Yesterday, Information, Communications and Culture Minister Rais Yatim said the hackers “had got the wrong end of the stick”.
“They have misunderstood our good intentions. There is no cyber censorship in Malaysia unless crimes have been committed,” he said.
Jun 16, 11 | MalaysiaKini
Since late yesterday, at least 10 websites of government agencies had been inaccessible due to an attack by hackers, in retaliation for the government’s earlier decision to block file-sharing websites.
hacked parliamentLast night the hackers, who call themselves Anonymous, published a list of 18 government websites which had been allegedly hit by DDoS (Distributed Denial-of-Service) attack or switched off by the website administrator.
A check by Malaysiakini at 7am today found that at least nine websites, including the flagship portal of Malaysia government MyGovernment (www.malaysia.gov.my), were still down.
Others were Sabah tourism, Asean connect, the Fire and Rescue Department, the Treasury, Parliament, Jobs Malaysia, the Information, Communication and Culture Ministry, and the National Sports Council.
The official website of the Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia (CIDB) was also reported to have been defaced last night.
Acccording to netizens who published a screen capture of the hacked website, the original footer had been replaced with a statement protesting the earlier blockade of websites.
hacked malaysia government“Greetings, Malaysia, We have seen the censorship taken by the Malaysian government, blocking sites like The Pirate Bay, and WikiLeaks. Malaysia is one of the world’s strictest governments, even blocking out movies, and television shows.
“These acts of censorship are inexcusable. You are taking away a basic human right. The Internet is here for freedom, without fear of government interference. Do not think that no one else notices,” read the statement.
It also said that the attack is a “sign, a warning, and an opportunity to listen to ideas above your own” and the hackers “are obligated to act fast and have no mercy”.
However the CIDB website had recovered by 7am.
hacked sabah tourismLast week, the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) had announced that 10 websites including Pirate Bay and Megaupload had been blocked for infringing copyright laws.
Subsequently the hackers uploaded a short clip on video-sharing website YouTube, threatening to attack government websites from today in retaliation over the ban.
Yesterday, Information, Communications and Culture Minister Rais Yatim said the hackers “had got the wrong end of the stick”.
“They have misunderstood our good intentions. There is no cyber censorship in Malaysia unless crimes have been committed,” he said.
At least 41 websites hacked, no data compromised
Jun 16, 11 | MalaysiaKini
At least 41 government websites were hacked into overnight but no personal or financial data were compromised, officials said today, as the Malaysia becomes the latest target of a cyber-war waged by the activists.
In the attacks, 51 websites were hit and at least 41 of these sites were disrupted, industry regulator Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission said.
The attacks, which began shortly before midnight yesterday, follow a warning by Internet vigilante group Anonymous, which said it would attack the government’s official portal to punish it for censoring WikiLeaks, the website that aims to expose governments and corporations by leaking secret documents.
hacked parliament”Our monitoring of the situation showed that there was a reduced level of attacks by 4am this morning and upon further evaluation, so far, we gauge that there has been little impact on Malaysian users as a result,” the communications commission said in a statement.
It did not name the sites which were attacked but targets included the government’s online portal www.malaysia.gov.my, and the webpages of the fire and emergency services department www.bomba.gov.my and the land public transport commission www.spad.gov.my.
NONEInspector-general of police Ismail Omar told Reuters no personal or financial data had so far been stolen but the authorities were trying to determine the extent of the attacks.
It was not immediately clear if the attacks were launched by Anonymous or other hackers.
Anonymous is a grouping of global activists lobbying for Internet freedom who frequently try to shut down the websites of businesses and other organisations that they oppose.
IT defence team pathetic
The activists gained prominence when they temporarily crippled the websites of MasterCard and Paypal that cut off financial services to WikiLeaks.
A spate of cyber attacks on multinational firms and institutions, from the US Central Intelligence Agency to Citigroup to the International Monetary Fund, has raised concerns that governments and the private sector may struggle to defend themselves against hackers.
In an earlier Internet posting, Anonymous said Malaysia’s censorship of films and television shows and its blocking of file-sharing websites amounted to a denial of human rights.
The communication commission last week banned 10 file-sharing sites and ordered Internet service providers such as Telekom Malaysia and Maxis to block access.
The restrictions have outraged ordinary Malaysians, and several people took to Twitter on Thursday to express support for the cyber attacks.
“Now to count how many sites have gotten whacked so far,” said a tweet posted by Rhyden. “I knew the government’s IT defence team was pathetic.”
The country has a vibrant Internet culture that has gained a mass following in an environment where the mainstream media is tightly controlled. The government has in the past charged bloggers with sedition, often detaining suspects for long periods without trial.
At least 41 government websites were hacked into overnight but no personal or financial data were compromised, officials said today, as the Malaysia becomes the latest target of a cyber-war waged by the activists.
In the attacks, 51 websites were hit and at least 41 of these sites were disrupted, industry regulator Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission said.
The attacks, which began shortly before midnight yesterday, follow a warning by Internet vigilante group Anonymous, which said it would attack the government’s official portal to punish it for censoring WikiLeaks, the website that aims to expose governments and corporations by leaking secret documents.
hacked parliament”Our monitoring of the situation showed that there was a reduced level of attacks by 4am this morning and upon further evaluation, so far, we gauge that there has been little impact on Malaysian users as a result,” the communications commission said in a statement.
It did not name the sites which were attacked but targets included the government’s online portal www.malaysia.gov.my, and the webpages of the fire and emergency services department www.bomba.gov.my and the land public transport commission www.spad.gov.my.
NONEInspector-general of police Ismail Omar told Reuters no personal or financial data had so far been stolen but the authorities were trying to determine the extent of the attacks.
It was not immediately clear if the attacks were launched by Anonymous or other hackers.
Anonymous is a grouping of global activists lobbying for Internet freedom who frequently try to shut down the websites of businesses and other organisations that they oppose.
IT defence team pathetic
The activists gained prominence when they temporarily crippled the websites of MasterCard and Paypal that cut off financial services to WikiLeaks.
A spate of cyber attacks on multinational firms and institutions, from the US Central Intelligence Agency to Citigroup to the International Monetary Fund, has raised concerns that governments and the private sector may struggle to defend themselves against hackers.
In an earlier Internet posting, Anonymous said Malaysia’s censorship of films and television shows and its blocking of file-sharing websites amounted to a denial of human rights.
The communication commission last week banned 10 file-sharing sites and ordered Internet service providers such as Telekom Malaysia and Maxis to block access.
The restrictions have outraged ordinary Malaysians, and several people took to Twitter on Thursday to express support for the cyber attacks.
“Now to count how many sites have gotten whacked so far,” said a tweet posted by Rhyden. “I knew the government’s IT defence team was pathetic.”
The country has a vibrant Internet culture that has gained a mass following in an environment where the mainstream media is tightly controlled. The government has in the past charged bloggers with sedition, often detaining suspects for long periods without trial.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
No more free downloads as MCMC blocks 10 file sharing sites
NEWS INFORMATION
Date June 11, 2011
Region World
Source http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/6/11/nation/8879884&sec=nation
PETALING JAYA: In a bid to combat piracy, the Government has declared war on filesharing websites with 10 such websites now blocked by the telecommunications industry watchdog.
The websites were among the most visited sites by Malaysians to illegally download movies.
On May 30, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) had written a letter to all Internet Service Providers (ISPs) ordering the block.
The letter was signed by Digital Security Services division acting senior director Eneng Faridah Iskandar.
The letter, which was leaked online, also stated that the websites were being blocked for breaching Section 41 of the Copyright Act 1987, which deals with pirated content.
An MCMC spokesperson confirmed the ban and said it was done on the request of the Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Ministry.
The ministry's enforcement division director-general Mohd Roslan Mahayudin confirmed that the request was made.
“It is standard procedure for the ministry to request MCMC to block sites that violate the Copyright Act 1987,” he told The Star.
Roslan said the ministry had requested that 19 websites, including the 10 listed in the letter, be blocked for violating the Act but added that it was up to MCMC to decide on which ones to block.
When asked about the fate of surfers who legally use the websites such as for storing non-pirated content, Mohd Roslan said they could always write to the ministry.
“Anyone who feels the ban is wrong can write to us and we will look into it,” he said.
Film maker Norman Abd Halim of KRU Studios said the move was long overdue.
“The unauthorised use of copyright work is destroying the industry. If everyone feels that works should be shared, then there is no value in these works,” he said.
Norman equated the move to South Korea's three-strikes law, where a person guilty of copyright infringement can have their Internet access suspended for six months.
However, irate users have vented their frustration by creating aFacebook page to protest.
By 8.30pm yesterday, there were 410 supporters who “liked” the page that was named “1M Malaysians Don't Want Block File Sharing Websites.”
FilesTube Media Search Engine, one of the sites ordered blocked, also commented on the page.
“We have posted information about this on our wall. We are with you.”
Before the page was put up, some Malaysians were already protesting via Twitter.
“You can't create a walled-up Internet garden,” read one tweet.
Some also made reference to the MSC Malaysia Bill of Guarantees which states that the Government will not censor the Internet.
MSC Malaysia is a national initiative that kicked off in 1996 and is aimed at transforming the nation into a knowledge-based economy.
Date June 11, 2011
Region World
Source http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/6/11/nation/8879884&sec=nation
PETALING JAYA: In a bid to combat piracy, the Government has declared war on filesharing websites with 10 such websites now blocked by the telecommunications industry watchdog.
The websites were among the most visited sites by Malaysians to illegally download movies.
On May 30, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) had written a letter to all Internet Service Providers (ISPs) ordering the block.
The letter was signed by Digital Security Services division acting senior director Eneng Faridah Iskandar.
The letter, which was leaked online, also stated that the websites were being blocked for breaching Section 41 of the Copyright Act 1987, which deals with pirated content.
An MCMC spokesperson confirmed the ban and said it was done on the request of the Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Ministry.
The ministry's enforcement division director-general Mohd Roslan Mahayudin confirmed that the request was made.
“It is standard procedure for the ministry to request MCMC to block sites that violate the Copyright Act 1987,” he told The Star.
Roslan said the ministry had requested that 19 websites, including the 10 listed in the letter, be blocked for violating the Act but added that it was up to MCMC to decide on which ones to block.
When asked about the fate of surfers who legally use the websites such as for storing non-pirated content, Mohd Roslan said they could always write to the ministry.
“Anyone who feels the ban is wrong can write to us and we will look into it,” he said.
Film maker Norman Abd Halim of KRU Studios said the move was long overdue.
“The unauthorised use of copyright work is destroying the industry. If everyone feels that works should be shared, then there is no value in these works,” he said.
Norman equated the move to South Korea's three-strikes law, where a person guilty of copyright infringement can have their Internet access suspended for six months.
However, irate users have vented their frustration by creating aFacebook page to protest.
By 8.30pm yesterday, there were 410 supporters who “liked” the page that was named “1M Malaysians Don't Want Block File Sharing Websites.”
FilesTube Media Search Engine, one of the sites ordered blocked, also commented on the page.
“We have posted information about this on our wall. We are with you.”
Before the page was put up, some Malaysians were already protesting via Twitter.
“You can't create a walled-up Internet garden,” read one tweet.
Some also made reference to the MSC Malaysia Bill of Guarantees which states that the Government will not censor the Internet.
MSC Malaysia is a national initiative that kicked off in 1996 and is aimed at transforming the nation into a knowledge-based economy.
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