Jeff Ooi

Internet activity

Jeff Ooi used to write a blog known as "Screenshots..." which he started on 2 January 2003. It covers current issues relating to Malaysia, mainly on politics. From time to time, it also touches on international news and photography.

Jeff Ooi's blog has been dubbed "Malaysia's Most Influential Blog" by Malaysiakini, a local online news publication known for its difference in stance with the mainstream media. In 2005, Screenshots won the Asia category of the Freedom Blogs Awards given by Reporters Without Borders.

Jeff Ooi also administrates a photography forum called Lensa Malaysia, which receives 200,000-page views per month. He is also the founder and administrator of USJ and Subang Jaya's own community forum usj.com.my, and was hired by CNET Asia as a tech blogger alongside other CNET Asia bloggers. He named his CNET Asia blog Lemak Lemang, a reference to coconut-flavoured sticky rice stuffed in a bamboo container traditionally prepared by Malays.

Entry into politics

In 2006, it was reported by The Star, a local English language daily, that Ooi was among several local bloggers being wooed by the opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP) to run for public office. Ooi, who was at the time a member of Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (Malaysian People's Movement), a major party in the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition government, stated that "it's too premature at this point" for him to consider entering active politics.

He joined DAP on 31 July 2007. Ooi contested as a DAP candidate in Malaysia's 2008 general election for a seat in Jelutong, Penang, which he won by a majority margin of 16,246 votes.[1].

Lawsuit

On 11 January 2007, Ooi, alongside Ahirudin Attan, was sued by the New Straits Times Press. The Malaysian court ordered Ooi to remove more than 10 postings on his blog that the NSTP claimed were libellous by 17 January. Ooi was prohibited from republishing those postings in his blog or on the internet until the resolution of the defamation suit filed by New Straits Times Press (NSTP). The lawsuits were the first of their kind in Malaysia. Then Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi defended the legal action launched against Ooi, saying the Internet was not exempt from defamation laws. This lawsuit spawned the Bloggers United campaign to defend bloggers and freedom of expression. Jeff Ooi and Ahirudin chose to defend themselves in court. The situation resulted in various newspapers covering Malaysian blogging. A fund was also set up to protect bloggers and support their activities.

Controversy

Jeff Ooi called Mohd Razali Abdullah, a Penang Municipal councillor, an Islamic extremist. This has caused public furore especially from the Muslim community because while Razali is a member of Jemaah Islah Malaysia (JIM), the organisation itself is a registered body and has a close tie with Ooi's party's youth wing, Penang DAP Socialist Youth (Dapsy). It gave the impression that Syariah Law is extreme and Muslims are extremists. Chief Minister of Penang, Lim Guan Eng has ordered Ooi to retract his statements and apologise publicly. Ooi finally withdrew his statements after denying previous calls by certain parties, as an adherence to his superior's order. However, he did not offer any apology. He continued on criticising Razali. The Islamic religious leaders association of Penang (Persatuan Ulama' Malaysia cawangan Pulau Pinang) has launched a signature campaign to the public to support the demand Jeff Ooi to resign from office for his demeaning remarks on Muslims and Islam in Malaysia.