In his article, Gomez (2004) noted a very important point: “The expansion of freedom of expression and the decline of censorship has often been associated with the movement towards democracy”
The containment of freedom of expression has involved the use of legislation to restrict access, the proscription of content, the exercise of influence through ownership and the inducement of self-censorship.
During the early 1900s, the emergence of the internet in Asia increased the chances that public discourse could occur without the intervention of licensing authorities, agenda-setting and gate-keeping of the mass media. With the Internet, individuals around the globe could overcome geographical and political barriers without constraint. As a result, traditional media censorship played an insignificant impact on the Internet’s vast potential. This is particularly because of the Internet's unique and advanced characteristics which disallows constraints and tracking.
Gomez (2004) raise an challenging question when he states,
"The crucial ingredients for establishing a functioning democracy are an active citizenry, a vibrant civil society and a state that enables access to information, privacy, human and civil rights.”
Is Malaysia a democratic country? Does that conflict with its political ideology? In the case of Malaysia, the no censorship policy for the Internet which allows unrestrained and boundless access of Internet, shows that Malaysia is in fact a democratic country. However, this form of democracy and freedom of expression on the web, does it coincides with its political beliefs and culture values?
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Gomez, J. (2004) Dumbing down democracy: Trends in internet regulation, surveillance and control in Asia, Pacific Journalism Review, 10(2) pp. 130-150
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