Shaziman Abu Mansor
Encyclopedia
Dato'
Shaziman bin Abu Mansor (born 20 January, 1964 in Ipoh
, Perak
) is a Malaysian politician, a prominent member of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), and the current Works Minister of Malaysia.
worker in Ipoh, Perak, Shaziman was raised in Tampin
, Negeri Sembilan
, receiving primary education at Tunku Besar Tampin Primary School. He studied Civil Engineering
at the University of Indiana
. Shaziman rose within the ranks of UMNO until he was picked as the head of UMNO Youth in 1997, followed by his appointment as the head of Tampin UMNO in 2001.
Shaziman was chosen as a candidate for the 1999 Malaysian general election
, contesting for the Tampin parliamentary seat against PAS
' Hamdan Hashim and winning by a majority of 9,979 votes. Shaziman successfully retained his seat in the next two general elections, defeating Abdul Razakek Abdul Rahim of PAS in 2004
and 2008
. In 2004, Shaziman won by a clear majority of 18,084 votes (against 5,852 votes for Abdul Razakek); 2008 saw a lower share of votes in favour of Shaziman, with 13,079 votes (against 10,943 votes for Abdul Razakek).
After the 2004 general election, Shaziman was included into the Cabinet of Malaysia
as the Deputy Minister of Energy, Water and Communications, under the leadership of Energy, Water and Communications Minister Lim Keng Yaik
. Following Lim's announcement of his retirement as the President of Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia
in 2007, Shaziman was promoted as the new Minister of Energy, Water and Communications on March 18, 2008.
blog
gers whom he accuses of "[spreading] negative or malicious content on the Internet" which "could harm the country's security". In a weekly Parliament meeting on August 23, 2006, Shaziman branded anonymous bloggers "penembak curi", a Malay
term for "sniper
s", and challenged said bloggers to step forth and debate issues they are dissatisfied with:
In a later Parliament meeting held on April 4, 2007, Shaziman expressed the idea of compulsory registration for bloggers whose blogs are hosted on local servers, one of several measures the Government was considering to curb publication of malicious materials on the Internet, adding the ministry does not have any problem with bloggers who identified themselves but reiterating his view of welcoming blogging activities. Deputy Prime Minister
Najib Tun Razak
sided Shaziman, stating bloggers have made the "business of government more challenging" and in certain cases, caused unnecessary distraction.
Shaziman's suggestion on April 4 drew flak from a member of the Opposition
, as well as two prominent bloggers, Jeff Ooi
and Ahiruddin Attan, both of whom have been sued by the New Straits Times Press
in January 2007. Democratic Action Party
(DAP) leader Lim Kit Siang, who interjected when Shaziman was speaking in Parliament, claimed the government ministries' negative view of bloggers "reflected their lack of understanding about information flow" when foreign politicians already have their own blogs. Blogger and activist Marina Mahathir
stated the move will only ridicule the government in the international community and told the Government to "get real", while Ahiruddin has stated the proposed measure undermines the country's no-censorship policy with regards to the Internet, and creates fear among bloggers, who will in turn decide to host their blogs overseas. Jeff Ooi questioned the need for blogger registration when a Communications and Multimedia Content Forum dealing with complaints by any party was already put in place by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission
(MCMC) since the introduction of the Communications and Multimedia Act in 1998, and claims the proposal goes against global trends and will stifle development of local web content.
Malay titles
The Malay language has a complex system of titles and honorifics, which are still used extensively in Malaysia and Brunei. Singapore, whose Malay royalty was abolished by the British colonial government in 1891, has adopted civic titles for its leaders....
Shaziman bin Abu Mansor (born 20 January, 1964 in Ipoh
Ipoh
Ipoh is the capital city of Perak state, Malaysia. It is approximately 200 km north of Kuala Lumpur on the North-South Expressway....
, Perak
Perak
Perak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...
) is a Malaysian politician, a prominent member of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), and the current Works Minister of Malaysia.
Early life
Born as a son of a Malayan RailwayKeretapi Tanah Melayu
Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad or Malayan Railways Limited is the main rail operator in Peninsular Malaysia. The railway system dates back to the British colonial era, when it was first built to transport tin...
worker in Ipoh, Perak, Shaziman was raised in Tampin
Tampin
Tampin is both a town and a district in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, however part of the town spills over into the neighbouring state of Malacca, as it is located along the Malacca-Negeri Sembilan border...
, Negeri Sembilan
Negeri Sembilan
Negeri Sembilan, one of the 13 states that constitutes Malaysia, lies on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia, just south of Kuala Lumpur and borders Selangor on the north, Pahang in the east, and Malacca and Johor to the south....
, receiving primary education at Tunku Besar Tampin Primary School. He studied Civil Engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
at the University of Indiana
Political career
Shaziman entered Malaysian politics in 1991, at the age of 27 years old, as a member of the Tampin Bandar branch of UMNO in TampinTampin
Tampin is both a town and a district in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, however part of the town spills over into the neighbouring state of Malacca, as it is located along the Malacca-Negeri Sembilan border...
. Shaziman rose within the ranks of UMNO until he was picked as the head of UMNO Youth in 1997, followed by his appointment as the head of Tampin UMNO in 2001.
Shaziman was chosen as a candidate for the 1999 Malaysian general election
Malaysian general election, 1999
The 1999 Malaysian General Election was held on 29 November 1999 as stipulated by the laws of Malaysia for general elections. As expected, the Barisan Nasional coalition maintained its majority in parliament, and thus, its grip on the post of Prime Minister....
, contesting for the Tampin parliamentary seat against PAS
PAS (political party)
The Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party commonly known as PAS or Pas, is an Islamist political party in Malaysia and is currently headed by Dato' Seri Abdul Hadi Awang...
' Hamdan Hashim and winning by a majority of 9,979 votes. Shaziman successfully retained his seat in the next two general elections, defeating Abdul Razakek Abdul Rahim of PAS in 2004
Malaysian general election, 2004
General elections were held in Malaysia on March 21, 2004. The incumbent National Front government of Prime Minister Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was re-elected with an increased majority.-Election results:...
and 2008
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...
. In 2004, Shaziman won by a clear majority of 18,084 votes (against 5,852 votes for Abdul Razakek); 2008 saw a lower share of votes in favour of Shaziman, with 13,079 votes (against 10,943 votes for Abdul Razakek).
After the 2004 general election, Shaziman was included into the Cabinet of Malaysia
Cabinet of Malaysia
The Cabinet of Malaysia is the executive branch of Malaysia's government. Led by the Prime Minister, the cabinet is a council of ministers who are accountable collectively to the Parliament. According to the Article 43 of the Constitution, members of the Cabinet can only be selected from members...
as the Deputy Minister of Energy, Water and Communications, under the leadership of Energy, Water and Communications Minister Lim Keng Yaik
Lim Keng Yaik
Tun Dr. Lim Keng Yaik is a former Malaysian politician and former Minister of Energy, Water and Communications in the Malaysian cabinet. He was the national president of Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia from 1980 until stepping down on April 8, 2007 to pave the way for Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon...
. Following Lim's announcement of his retirement as the President of Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia
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....
in 2007, Shaziman was promoted as the new Minister of Energy, Water and Communications on March 18, 2008.
Views on the Malaysian blogsphere
Since assuming the role of Deputy Minister of Energy, Water and Communications in 2004, Shaziman has expressed views against anonymousAnonymity
Anonymity is derived from the Greek word ἀνωνυμία, anonymia, meaning "without a name" or "namelessness". In colloquial use, anonymity typically refers to the state of an individual's personal identity, or personally identifiable information, being publicly unknown.There are many reasons why a...
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...
gers whom he accuses of "[spreading] negative or malicious content on the Internet" which "could harm the country's security". In a weekly Parliament meeting on August 23, 2006, Shaziman branded anonymous bloggers "penembak curi", a Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
term for "sniper
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
s", and challenged said bloggers to step forth and debate issues they are dissatisfied with:
In a later Parliament meeting held on April 4, 2007, Shaziman expressed the idea of compulsory registration for bloggers whose blogs are hosted on local servers, one of several measures the Government was considering to curb publication of malicious materials on the Internet, adding the ministry does not have any problem with bloggers who identified themselves but reiterating his view of welcoming blogging activities. Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia
Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia is the second highest political office in Malaysia. There has been ten deputy prime ministers since the office was created in 1957. Although there has always been a Deputy Prime Minister since independence, there is nothing preventing a Prime Minister from not...
Najib Tun Razak
Najib Tun Razak
Dato' Sri Haji Mohd Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak is the sixth, and since 2009, Prime Minister of Malaysia. He previously held the post of Deputy Prime Minister from 7 January 2004 until he succeeded Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as Prime Minister on 3 April 2009. Najib is President of the United...
sided Shaziman, stating bloggers have made the "business of government more challenging" and in certain cases, caused unnecessary distraction.
Shaziman's suggestion on April 4 drew flak from a member of the Opposition
Opposition (Malaysia)
The Opposition in Malaysia is a term used to describe political parties represented in the Parliament of Malaysia that are not in government either on their own or as part of a governing coalition. Note that this article uses the term government as it is used in parliamentary systems, i.e...
, as well as two prominent bloggers, Jeff Ooi
Jeff Ooi
Ooi Chuan Aun , better known as Jeff Ooi, is a Malaysian IT consultant by profession, blogger, 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...
and Ahiruddin Attan, both of whom have been 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:...
in January 2007. 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) leader Lim Kit Siang, who interjected when Shaziman was speaking in Parliament, claimed the government ministries' negative view of bloggers "reflected their lack of understanding about information flow" when foreign politicians already have their own blogs. Blogger and activist 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...
stated the move will only ridicule the government in the international community and told the Government to "get real", while Ahiruddin has stated the proposed measure undermines the country's no-censorship policy with regards to the Internet, and creates fear among bloggers, who will in turn decide to host their blogs overseas. Jeff Ooi questioned the need for blogger registration when a Communications and Multimedia Content Forum dealing with complaints by any party was already put in place by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission
Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission or Suruhanjaya Komunikasi dan Multimedia Malaysia is the regulator for the converging communications and multimedia industry in Malaysia...
(MCMC) since the introduction of the Communications and Multimedia Act in 1998, and claims the proposal goes against global trends and will stifle development of local web content.