Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan

At Your ServiceBloggers have the ability to persuadestrangers to become friends and to believein a credo with utter conviction. This isdone without spending millions of ringgit. Itis akin to the word of mouth equivalent ofyesteryear.Topics in the blogs evolve from the everyday needs of the people. This is thenturned into an ethos which resonates, creating an emotive bond that binds andconnects with people.Both bloggers and their followers form very powerful and credible networks ofauthority. Globally, people seek this new medium for information to make informeddecisions.The advent of Facebook and Twitter have further accentuated the role of newmedia in information flow and sharing.But with freedom there must be responsibility.As citizens, such expressions must be done with a communal and social responsibilityto communicate values and uphold tenets of nation building. Furthermore, withincreasing Internet use, there is the concern of security, privacy and safety.The recently announced Data Protection Act seeks to protect Malaysians fromunsavoury and inappropriate content as well as crimes such as identity theft.The law and our Constitution seek touphold, protect and provide for the benefitof Malaysians.130