The unnecessary

Not a good idea. Regulating all social media users to register with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is like clamping on the flow of free information.

And it won't work, that's for sure as the users come in millions and it is not going to be an easy task to monitor them, especially those operating from overseas.

The MCMC, as a regulating and monitoring agency, should instead step up its surveillance mechanism to bar 'upleasant postings'. As for the government, the Sedition Act (soon to be re-branded and injected with stricter provisions) must also apply.

The suggestion for social media users to register with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) in bid to prevent seditious postings is an infringement on freedom of expression, said the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ). 
According to the media watchdog on Tuesday, the suggestion made by Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek was unnecessary.  
“The authorities have already prosecuted a number of individuals who posted comments online using pseudonyms, and have demonstrated that they have the technological resources to identify the actual persons behind anonymous postings. 
“Furthermore, courts in other jurisdictions have already wrestled with the issue of potentially defamatory posts online and developed clear principles of when the identity of an anonymous contributor can and should be revealed,” said CIJ directors Sonia Randhawa and Jac Kee in a statement. 

They said curbs to freedom of expression should not be imposed willy-nilly, but only when there was a clear threat to national security or public order, adding that such a registration mechanism would present bureaucratic and technological challenges. 
On Monday, Ahmad Shabery was quoted by Bernama as saying that a move to register social media users would be “doable”, but technically challenging as many users were from overseas.    
He said the use of fake online identities made it difficult for authorities to prove cases of defamation or sedition, and suggested fostering cooperation with Facebook and Twitter to register IP addresses and enable forensic work to be carried out to detect the individuals responsible.

We cannot stop people from expressing themselves on the social media tools. The Internet is there for a better use and those who flout the rules should know the rules and laws regulating it, especially in a multiracial country like Malaysia.

The government can always set up another watchdog panel to assist MCMC in carrying out its 'spying' duties.

The public - in enjoying media freedom and freedom of expression - must be further educated on sentiments about the country as to avoid being pinned down by their wrongdoings. There is always a limit to everything, right?