A screenshot of Tabunginsider taken from a desktop computer. – January 28, 2016. Putrajaya has blocked access to two blogs that recently published Bank Negara Malaysia's letters warning of Lembaga Tabung Haji's depleted reserve levels.
The blogs Tabunginsider and OutSyed The Box each returns a page with the notice: "This website is not available in Malaysia as it violate(s) the national law(s)".
Tabunginsider's last blogpost, "Amaran Keras Daripada Pemantau Institusi Bukan Bank" (Stern Warning from Non-Bank Institutions Regulator), was published on Monday.
It contained the letters from Bank Negara governor Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz to Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom and Tabung Haji chairman Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim.
Tabunginsider's first and only other post, published Friday last week, complained of politicians allegedly interfering in Tabung Haji's administration and forcing it to conduct risky investments.
Syed Akbar Ali reproduced the letters to Jamil on his own blog Outsyed The Box on the same day.
In a blog post yesterday afternoon, he said he received text messages from people saying his blog could not be accessed.
"Is this the new digital democracy? Sites become inaccessible. When there are things to hide, people will need to hide things," he said.
The Malaysian Insider has contacted the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) for comments and is waiting for a response.
Meanwhile, Syed Akbar (pic, right) told The Malaysian Insider that his blog had been blocked since yesterday without any warning from the authorities.
"I'm very sad and unhappy that they have blocked it. It's very unfair, I'm just a blogger, I'm not a threat to the country, or the security of the nation or to my fellow Malaysians."
He said it could be due to the publication of the letters on Tabung Haji.
He said he had also written a post on a Sarawak Report article a few days ago. The whistleblower website is banned in Malaysia.
"I also reproduced a Wall Street Journal article. But other than that, there's nothing else that warrants the authorities blocking my blog.
"Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak recently said it was his job to guarantee the safety and security of all Malaysians from terrorists. But I don't see how my blog fits into this category.
"My blog is very well known in Malaysia for being number one against terrorism. I'm constantly harping against violence. That's the main message in my blog. So how does banning my blog fit into what he said?"
Syed Akbar added that he would not be updating his blog as long as it remained blocked.
He believed too few readers would know how to circumvent the ban using proxy servers or adjusting one's DNS servers.
"I basically lost my readership. If I write now, very few people will read it. I'd be wasting my time. I can't do anything now.
"I have to reassess my situation. Maybe I'll write a book," he said. – January 28, 2016.
Comments
Please refrain from nicknames or comments of a racist, sexist, personal, vulgar or derogatory nature, or you may risk being blocked from commenting in our website. We encourage commenters to use their real names as their username. As comments are moderated, they may not appear immediately or even on the same day you posted them. We also reserve the right to delete off-topic comments