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Apakah ini bermakna penulisan siber sudah mengena sasarannya? Inikah dia RM20 juta kelengkapan perang yang terpaksa dikorbankan untuk menangkis tajamnya minda penulis siber?

TJ ringkas (yang penting sahaja):

KL 22 Sep (AFP):

UMNO akan melancarkan "perang siber" terhadap kritik yang menjatuhkan kerajaan, mengikut lapuran Jumaat ini.

Ketua penerangan UMNO, Mustapha Mohd memberitahu akhbar Star bahawa parti itu akan menggunakan internet untuk mempertahankan polisis kerajaan dan kepimpinannya.

"Ia akan menjadi perang siber", kata Mustapha.

"Namun kami tidak akan mengunakannya untuk menyebar fitnah terhadap parti pembangkang. Sebaliknya kami akan menumpukan kepada pengolahan cerita benar agar ia dapat menarik orang ramai melawat laman2 itu"

Beliau tidak memberi butir2 lanjut tetapi akhbar Star menyebut satu sumber dari parti itu mengatakan ia akan membina portal nya sendiri untuk "menangkis tuduhan dan fitnah" terhadap kepimpinan dan mendapat maklum balas awam.

Pegawai tersebut mengatakan 30 laman yang disasarkan kepada pelbagai golongan, terutamanya pelajar dan pemuda, dijangka siap bulan depan. NST memetik kekata Rais Yatim, menteri di JPM pada hari Jumaat, bahawa pengguna internet tidak berada di atas undang2 walaupun kerajaan berikrar tidak akan menapis/menyaring internet.

Beliau memberi amaran pengguna internet juga boleh didakwa kerana aktiviti mengaibkan atau menghasut.

"Setiap yang termaktub di media cetak juga termaktub di dunia internet. Jika kamu mengaibkan sesorang kamu akan dipertanggung jawabkan".

Dia menambah "Maknanya...Akta Hasutan pun boleh diambil kira".

Sumber: AFP

http://news.catcha.com/my/content.phtml?1&010&&afpnews.cgi&cat=malaysia&story=000922055954.jxmc86ph.txt

Malaysia's ruling party plans 'cyber war' against critics

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 22 (AFP) - Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's ruling party will launch a "cyber war" against critics out to discredit the government, a report said Friday.

United Malays National Organisation's (UMNO) information chief Mustapa Mohamad told The Star newspaper that the party would use the Internet to defend government policies and the leadership.

"It will be an outright cyber war," Mustapa said.

"However, we will not stoop to using slander against opposition leaders. We will instead concentrate on telling the truth in a way that can attract the people to visit our websites."

He did not give details but the daily quoted a party official as saying UMNO was setting up its own portal to "counter allegations and slander" against the leadership and seek feedback from the public.

The official said 30 websites aimed at various groups, especially students and youths, were expected to be set up next month.

A slew of anti-government websites have mushroomed after the now jailed Anwar Ibrahim was sacked as deputy premier and expelled from the party in September 1998.

UMNO is the lynchpin of the National Front coalition.

The New Straits Times quoted Rais Yatim, a minister in the prime minister's department, as saying Friday that Internet users were not above the law although the government has pledged not to censor the Internet.

Rais, who handles legal affairs, warned Internet users could also be charged for defamation or sedition.