Away From the Internet

Words by Matthew Chiam

It was a beautiful Sunday morning. The birds were chirping, sparkling rays of the sun shining through the windows with a glimmer of hope for the nation. The day was in fact, Malaysia's 13th general election. (Read more here). I woke up, got ready for church, and scampered off downstairs to get a better Wi-Fi signal for my phone. Eager to digest all election related comments and posts, I toggled on Wi-Fi and opened up Facebook. However, the familiar news feed was replaced by a message popup, saying "No Internet Connection". I shrugged, and checked the modem and found that the last two LED indicators were not lit. A problem with the telephone line, I thought and subsequently ignored, thinking it was only a temporary issue.

A Call to Arms: Protect Our Internet

Not too long ago, two bills quietly surfaced on the other side of the pool over in the United States. SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (PROTECT-IP Act). They were called the protector of content creators, championed as the fighter against piracy.

In reality? Not as straightforward.


On 20th January, 2012, both bills were shelved due to “fundamental problems with the approach taken to solving the matter of online piracy”. This came after long weeks of both online and street protests highlighting the inefficiencies of the bills and how they could be used for other ulterior motives. It was a near-save for the concerned internet users watching not just in the U.S., but all over the world, as it was a turning point that would set a precedence for other potential bills to come.

Fast forward eight months, and we face a new, more personal challenge. It’s called Section 114A.