Photo by HermanHiddema
Many years ago(perhaps more than a decade), when the newspaper still give column to Malaysia opposition, I learn uncle Lim Kit Siang is a WeiQi 围棋(Go board game in English) aficionado.
Lim Kit Siang blog has set foot on the bloggersphere for more than 2 years. Previously, Lim Kit Siang blogs reader comments are mostly disapproval voice on BN policies, or support voices to opposition.
Yesterday, for the first time, Lim Kit Siang learn the peoples open opinion, not from the day-old , 24hours delay mainstream media, but from his blog.
When Lim Kit Siang learn the decision of DAP CEC to stand away from the Perak MB swearing-in ceremony , he published it in his blog ASAP.
When the news start spreading, the 5th estate immediately response. Majorities Malaysian bloggers reject the idea, some even blog about it with harsh word towards Lim Kit Siang. In less than 5 hours, Lim Kit Siang site suffer massive traffics, tons of comments pour in and overwhelm the server. In less than 18 hours, Lim Kit Siang blog has collect almost 600 comments(by the mean time, 594 comments).
The comments call of support on DAP CEC boycott on the Perak swearing-in ceremonies, are drown by reject call, angry voices and rejection request.
Yes, it is HOT HOT HOT. To bring down a web site, for today server, you need more than 10,000 browsing click per second to kill it. Since Lim Kit Siang blog keep getting “500 internal errors”, that mean the commenter and web surfer has exceed the mark. The people are concern about the boycoot move.
Apparently, uncle Kit Siang are still assessing the whole boycott scenario, because majorities of DAP members and supporters still retain the old mindset, afraid MCA will use Perak PAS MB appointment to attack DAP.
In facts, Lim Kit Siang and DAP CEC are gathering support from the 5th estate, the blogging world.
For the old day, due to the blockage of BN mainstream media, it will take days, perhaps week for opposition to learn the reaction from the people. IMHO, the boycott announcement are a strategically plot, perhaps by LKS himself. Chinese has a proverb call, “Use the backward step as a move to forward” （以退为进）.
In fact, such tactics will never works on mainstream media, perhaps will get a negative effect. With the 5th estate – blogs, Lim Kit Siang has gather enough voices to counter MCA attack. It will sideline MCA attempt to attack DAP on the Islamic state stand ground.
Yes, the 5th estate are ground for Malaysian to sound their voices.