Jeff Ooi
Encyclopedia
Ooi Chuan Aun (born c. 1956), better known as Jeff Ooi, is a Malaysian IT
consultant by profession, blog
ger, photographer and politician. He is currently the Member of Parliament
for Jelutong
in the 12th Malaysian Parliament.He is a well known for his criticism of Muslims and Islam in Malaysia. This was due to the his open criticism against the shariah principle of Islam and his open criticism and condemnation of Muslims as extremist.
He is from a small town in the northern Malaysian state of Kedah
. he was brought up among rural teenagers.
. From time to time, it also touches on international news and photography.
Jeff Ooi's blog has been dubbed "Malaysia's Most Influential Blog" by Malaysiakini
, a popular local online news publication with the non Muslim population of Malaysia. Between March 6 and March 10, 2006, Ooi claimed that the total data downloaded by visitors to his blog was 50.58 gigabyte
s. In 2005, Screenshots won the Asia category of the Freedom Blogs Awards given by Reporters Without Borders
.
Jeff Ooi also administrates a photography forum called Lensa Malaysia, which receives 200,000 page views per month. He is also the founder and administrator of USJ
and Subang Jaya
's own community forum usj.com.my, and was hired by CNET Asia
as a tech blogger alongside other CNET Asia bloggers. He named his CNET Asia blog Lemak Lemang, a reference to coconut-flavored sticky rice stuffed in a bamboo container
traditionally prepared by Malays.
, a local English language
daily, that Ooi was among several local bloggers being wooed by the opposition Democratic Action Party
(DAP) to run for public office. Ooi, who was at the time a member of Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (Malaysian People's Movement), a major party in the ruling Barisan Nasional
coalition government, stated that "it's too premature at this point" for him to consider entering active politics.
He joined DAP on July 31, 2007. Ooi contested as a DAP candidate in Malaysia's 2008 general election
for a seat in Jelutong
, Penang
., which he won by a majority margin of 16246 votes.http://malaysiakini.x10hosting.com/.
, was sued by the New Straits Times Press
. The Malaysian court ordered Ooi to remove more than 10 postings on his blog that the NSTP claimed were libellous by January 17. Ooi is prohibited from republishing those postings in his blog or on the internet until the disposal of the defamation suit filed by New Straits Times Press (NSTP). The lawsuits are the first of their kind in Malaysia. Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
has defended legal action launched against him, saying the Internet was not exempt from defamation laws. This lawsuit has spawned the Bloggers United campaign to defend bloggers and the freedom of expression, and Jeff Ooi and Ahirudin have chosen to defend in court. The situation resulted in the coverage of Malaysian blogging on various newspapers. A fund has also been set up to protect bloggers and support their activities, entrusting the fund to Marina Mahathir
and friends.
.
This has caused public furore especially from the Muslim community because while Razali is a member of Jemaah Islah Malaysia
(JIM), the organisation itself is a registered body and has a close tie with Ooi's party's youth wing, Penang DAP Socialist Youth (Dapsy).
It gave the impression that Syariah Law
is extreme and Muslims are extremists.
Chief Minister of Penang, Lim Guan Eng
has ordered Ooi to retract his statements and apologise publicly.
Ooi finally withdrew his statements after denying previous calls by certain parties, as an adherence to his superior's order.
However, he did not offer any apology.
He continued on criticising Razali.
The Islamic religious leaders association of Penang (Persatuan Ulama’ Malaysia cawangan Pulau Pinang) has launched a signature campaign to the public to support the demand Jeff Ooi to resign from office for his demeaning remarks on Muslims and Islam in Malaysia.
, "Screenshots," to Asian Correspondent
, a blogging-and-news website
covering 13 countries in Asia Pacific. His last article was regurgitated on November, 2009 under the Asian Correspondent platform.
.
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
consultant by profession, blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
ger, photographer and politician. He is currently the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Jelutong
Jelutong
Jelutong may refer to:* Bukit Jelutong, a suburb in Selangor, Malaysia* Jelutong , a type of tropical tree* Jelutong, Penang...
in the 12th Malaysian Parliament.He is a well known for his criticism of Muslims and Islam in Malaysia. This was due to the his open criticism against the shariah principle of Islam and his open criticism and condemnation of Muslims as extremist.
He is from a small town in the northern Malaysian state of Kedah
Kedah
Kedah is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km², and it consists of the mainland and Langkawi. The mainland has a relatively flat terrain, which is used to grow rice...
. he was brought up among rural teenagers.
Internet activity
Jeff Ooi writes a popular blog known as "Screenshots..." which he started on January 2, 2003. It covers current issues relating to Malaysia, mainly on politicsPolitics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
. From time to time, it also touches on international news and photography.
Jeff Ooi's blog has been dubbed "Malaysia's Most Influential Blog" by Malaysiakini
Malaysiakini
Malaysiakini is a political news website published in English, Malay, Chinese and Tamil. Since its launch on November 20, 1999, it has been widely considered to be one of the leading non-government owned paid-news agencies in Malaysia. Compete.com estimates that Malaysiakini now attracts over...
, a popular local online news publication with the non Muslim population of Malaysia. Between March 6 and March 10, 2006, Ooi claimed that the total data downloaded by visitors to his blog was 50.58 gigabyte
Gigabyte
The gigabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage. The prefix giga means 109 in the International System of Units , therefore 1 gigabyte is...
s. In 2005, Screenshots won the Asia category of the Freedom Blogs Awards given by Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders is a France-based international non-governmental organization that advocates freedom of the press. It was founded in 1985, by Robert Ménard, Rony Brauman and the journalist Jean-Claude Guillebaud. Jean-François Julliard has served as Secretary General since 2008...
.
Jeff Ooi also administrates a photography forum called Lensa Malaysia, which receives 200,000 page views per month. He is also the founder and administrator of USJ
UEP Subang Jaya
UEP Subang Jaya is an affluent major residential township in Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. It is one of the most prestigious addresses in the Klang Valley. It is located in the Mukim of Damansara, district of Petaling and the state of Selangor. USJ has a population of over 1,200,000 in 2010...
and Subang Jaya
Subang Jaya
Subang Jaya is a suburban city in the Klang Valley, Selangor, Malaysia. It comprises the southern third of the district of Petaling, and is home to a third of the district population of 1.78 million. Subang Jaya comprises , Bandar Sunway, UEP Subang Jaya, Putra Heights and Batu Tiga...
's own community forum usj.com.my, and was hired by CNET Asia
CNET
CNET is a tech media website that publishes news articles, blogs, and podcasts on technology and consumer electronics. Originally founded in 1994 by Halsey Minor and Shelby Bonnie, it was the flagship brand of CNET Networks and became a brand of CBS Interactive through CNET Networks' acquisition...
as a tech blogger alongside other CNET Asia bloggers. He named his CNET Asia blog Lemak Lemang, a reference to coconut-flavored sticky rice stuffed in a bamboo container
Lemang
Lemang is a traditional Malay food made of glutinous rice and coconut milk and cooked in a hollowed bamboo stick lined with banana leaves in order to prevent the rice from sticking to the bamboo. The cooking method using bamboo container is popular in Iban Dayak tribe of Borneo...
traditionally prepared by Malays.
Entry into politics
In 2006, it was reported by The StarThe Star (Malaysia)
The Star is an English-language, tabloid-format newspaper in Malaysia. It is the largest in terms of circulation in Malaysia, according to the . It has a daily circulation of between 290,000 to 300,000...
, a local English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
daily, that Ooi was among several local bloggers being wooed by the opposition Democratic Action Party
Democratic Action Party
The Democratic Action Party, or DAP is a secular, multi-racial, social democratic Malaysian political party.The DAP is one of the three major opposition parties in Malaysia, along with the PKR and PAS, that are seen as electable alternatives to the Barisan Nasional coalition of parties...
(DAP) to run for public office. Ooi, who was at the time a member of Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (Malaysian People's Movement), a major party in the ruling Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional is a major political coalition in Malaysia, formed in 1973 as the successor to the Alliance . Along with its predecessor, it has been Malaysia's federal ruling political force since independence...
coalition government, stated that "it's too premature at this point" for him to consider entering active politics.
He joined DAP on July 31, 2007. Ooi contested as a DAP candidate in Malaysia's 2008 general election
Malaysian general election, 2008
The 12th Malaysian general election was held on March 8, 2008, in accordance with Malaysian laws for national elections, which states that a general election must be held no later than five years subsequent to the previous elections; the previous general election was held in 2004...
for a seat in Jelutong
Jelutong, Penang
Jelutong is a town in Penang, Malaysia in the outskirts of Georgetown, the capital of Penang. The main road leading to Jelutong town centre is Jalan Jelutong. As this is a predominantly residential area, the major areas of interest are its famous local food stalls...
, Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
., which he won by a majority margin of 16246 votes.http://malaysiakini.x10hosting.com/.
Election results
| Year | Parliamentary seat | Votes | Majority | Total voters | Opponent | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | P50 Jelutong | 30493 | won by 16246 | 46406 | Thor Teong Gee (BN Barisan Nasional Barisan Nasional is a major political coalition in Malaysia, formed in 1973 as the successor to the Alliance . Along with its predecessor, it has been Malaysia's federal ruling political force since independence... - Gerakan Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia The Malaysian People's Movement Party is a political party in Malaysia. The party was founded on March 24, 1968, and , it is part of the ruling National Front coalition.... ) Badrul Zaman bin P.S. Md Zakariah (Independent) |
75.85% |
Lawsuit
On January 11, 2007, Ooi, alongside Ahirudin AttanAhirudin Attan
Ahirudin bin Attan, also known as Rocky Bru, is a Malaysian blogger, journalist and former editor of several New Straits Times Press publications, including the Business Times, The Malay Mail and The Sunday Mail...
, was sued by the New Straits Times Press
New Straits Times Press
The New Straits Times Press is a Malaysian conglomerate of publishing companies, owned by Media Prima. The NSTP publishes several newspapers, including the New Straits Times, The Malay Mail, Berita Harian and Harian Metro.-Origin:...
. The Malaysian court ordered Ooi to remove more than 10 postings on his blog that the NSTP claimed were libellous by January 17. Ooi is prohibited from republishing those postings in his blog or on the internet until the disposal of the defamation suit filed by New Straits Times Press (NSTP). The lawsuits are the first of their kind in Malaysia. Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Tun Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi is a Malaysian politician who served as Prime Minister from 2003 to 2009. He was also the President of the United Malays National Organisation , the largest political party in Malaysia, and led the governing Barisan Nasional parliamentary coalition...
has defended legal action launched against him, saying the Internet was not exempt from defamation laws. This lawsuit has spawned the Bloggers United campaign to defend bloggers and the freedom of expression, and Jeff Ooi and Ahirudin have chosen to defend in court. The situation resulted in the coverage of Malaysian blogging on various newspapers. A fund has also been set up to protect bloggers and support their activities, entrusting the fund to Marina Mahathir
Marina Mahathir
Marina binti Mahathir is the daughter and eldest child of the 4th Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Mahathir Mohammad. She is well known as a leader in many non-governmental organizations such as the Malaysian AIDS Foundation and is currently an active socio-political blogger...
and friends.
Controversy
Jeff Ooi called Mohd Razali Abdullah, a Penang Municipal councillor, an Islamic extremistIslamic extremism
Islamic extremism refers to two related and partially overlapping but also distinct aspects of extremist interpretations and pursuits of Islamic ideology:...
.
This has caused public furore especially from the Muslim community because while Razali is a member of Jemaah Islah Malaysia
Jamaah Islah Malaysia
-Establishment:Pertubuhan Jamaah Islah Malaysia is an NGO in Malaysia. The organisation was officially registered on Friday July 27, 1990 when its registration was accepted by The Registrar of Society, Malaysia...
(JIM), the organisation itself is a registered body and has a close tie with Ooi's party's youth wing, Penang DAP Socialist Youth (Dapsy).
It gave the impression that Syariah Law
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
is extreme and Muslims are extremists.
Chief Minister of Penang, Lim Guan Eng
Lim Guan Eng
Lim Guan Eng is the 4th Chief Minister of the State of Penang and Secretary-General of the Malaysian Democratic Action Party . He is the son of Lim Kit Siang, Leader of the Opposition in the Dewan Rakyat from 1973 to 1999 and 2004 to 2008....
has ordered Ooi to retract his statements and apologise publicly.
Ooi finally withdrew his statements after denying previous calls by certain parties, as an adherence to his superior's order.
However, he did not offer any apology.
He continued on criticising Razali.
The Islamic religious leaders association of Penang (Persatuan Ulama’ Malaysia cawangan Pulau Pinang) has launched a signature campaign to the public to support the demand Jeff Ooi to resign from office for his demeaning remarks on Muslims and Islam in Malaysia.
Blogging for Asian Correspondent
In 2009, Ooi migrated his blogBlog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
, "Screenshots," to Asian Correspondent
Asian Correspondent
Asian Correspondent was launched in October 2009 by Hybrid News Limited with the stated purpose of creating a hybrid news model that combined professional journalists, successful bloggers and wire news in one website...
, a blogging-and-news website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
covering 13 countries in Asia Pacific. His last article was regurgitated on November, 2009 under the Asian Correspondent platform.
.
See also
- Political blogPolitical blogA political blog is a common type of blog that comments on politics. In liberal democracies the right to criticize the government without interference is considered an important element of free speech...
- Ahirudin AttanAhirudin AttanAhirudin bin Attan, also known as Rocky Bru, is a Malaysian blogger, journalist and former editor of several New Straits Times Press publications, including the Business Times, The Malay Mail and The Sunday Mail...
- Lim Kit Siang
- Raja Petra KamarudinRaja petra kamarudinRaja Petra bin Raja Kamarudin is a Malaysian editor known for running the Malaysia Today website and publishing a series of commentary articles on Malaysian politics in the website. He is also fondly referred to by the initials RPK.He was detained for a second time under the Internal Security Act,...