Ministry watching blogs playing up controversies

The Home Ministry is monitoring blogs to check if bloggers are posting comments that confuse the people on controversial issues.

At the moment, Deputy Home Minister Datuk Chor Chee Heung said the ministry was merely advising bloggers against the misuse of blogs.

“So far, we are only telling them not to use their blogs as a mechanism to confuse people or as a weapon against those they don’t like.”

Chor said this yesterday when asked about bloggers posting comments on the National Fatwa Council’s edict banning Muslims from practising yoga.

“However, if the comments are deemed as posing a threat to the public security, we will view them seriously,” he said, adding it would be left to the minister to act on such cases.

“The ministry is always monitoring developments in the blogosphere,” Chor said after the launch of the National Anti-Drug Agency’s new programme, Rakan Anti-Dadah (Rada) to eradicate drug abuse, here yesterday.

He said the use of amphetamine-type stimulant (ATS) drugs particularly Ecstacy and syabu among youths, had increased with 12.69% having used such designer drugs between January and August this year compared to 9.85% during the corresponding period last year.

“Demand for ATS drugs is high among youths despite its cost. This is because they are easily available and easy to carry,” he said.