Puteri’s World

BERUAS: The Barisan Nasional should find ways to challenge the anti-government “filth and lies” now spreading in the Internet, said Gerakan adviser Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik.

He said he told Barisan representatives seven years ago that political parties needed to reply to the “lies” posted on the Internet.

“They should use websites to provide two sides of the story.

“Otherwise, the people will simply be drowned by one-sided stories spewed out by some bloggers,” he told reporters after visiting the construction site of SJK (C) Pei Ching here yesterday.

Full story here.

Exactly, Mr Minister!

I would rather you, as a member of the government, counter any “filth and lies”. You and the government are as free as any other Malaysian citizen to put up your side of your story on the internet!

I prefer you do that than try to ban or suppress any dissenting opinion!

Look at what has happened just a few days ago. The government has banned 11 books about Islam because the Islam portrayed in these books are not ”in line” with the Islam as practiced in Malaysia.

Why not counter those so called false portrayals by coming out with what you think is the right portrayal of Islam instead of arbitrarily banning the books!?

Give the people some credit to think for themselves and come out with their own conclusions as to whether or not those books are good or bad for them!

MIRI: In a bid to get half of Sarawak’s households online in two years, 200 “super-wireless hotspots” will be set up throughout the state.This SuperWiFi project is expected to be completed before 2010, said Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam.

It will stretch across the 1,000km perimeter from the southernmost tip of the state in Kuching to the northernmost border of Lawas.

Dr Chan, who is also chairman of the Sarawak Information Technology and Resources Council said the SuperWiFi will enable wireless coverage of up to a 2km radius compared to only a few metres within normal WiFi hotspots.

“We will create between 150 to 200 of these hotspots all over the state to give connectivity to the whole state.

“Aside from households, we will also link up schools, libraries and information centres in Sarawak so that they are hooked up with global institutions of learning and information.

“We (the state government) believe that with the assistance of the Federal Government, and with full participation from the private sector and corporate bodies, we will be able to achieve our aim within two years,” he said.

Dr Chan, who is also State Industrial Development Minister and State Agriculture Modernisation Minister, said the state-sponsored WiFi network, known as “deConnexion” had received tremendous support from the public since it was launched last year.

The most comprehensively linked city in Sarawak is Miri, he stressed.

“Kuching and other urban centres also have coverage.

Source: The Star

This is one of the best news about the development of IT in my home state of Sarawak. Not too long ago I was thinking aloud and wondering if Malaysia will ever have a city with free WiFi connection like San Francisco. How surprised I was when I heard from friends that Miri, my hometown, already has free WiFi access.

This means that the next time I visit my parents I will not have to tie up their phone line, and also increase the cost of their phone and internet bills!

Doug suggested I put up a directional antenna at my parents’ home so as to be able to receive better WiFi signal! I will most definitely do that if the signal is not that strong at my parents’ house!