Remember that small little online kerfuffle called #kangkung-gate? We might have written a few words about it. Yeah, about that … it seems some people are feeling more awkward about it than we thought. Maybe.
The BBC News article reporting the rapid ascension of the hashtag #kangkung to national, regional and even global trending status has seemingly been blocked on TMNet broadband services. Those trying to access the article, titled “#BBCtrending: Be careful what you say about spinach”, have been more successful when using other Internet Service Providers (ISPs) or via Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).
When probed by The Malay Mail Online, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) corporate communications chief Sheikh Raffie Abdul Rahman denied allegations that the commission was responsible for blocking the article. “To my knowledge no blocking,” he said in a statement via SMS.
Of course, Malaysian social media are abuzz with the news, with even the BBC once again having taken notice:
Are you in #Malaysia? Can you access this BBC story about #kangkung? http://t.co/sDKN4fFWyV – let us know using #BBCtrending
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) January 16, 2014
Others have been rather helpful:
Kerajaan Malaysia block page BBC yang siarkan berita pasal kangkung. Well here it is again for those who missed it. pic.twitter.com/KvyV2BG2Xr
— anaqsunamun (@ammvangelist) January 16, 2014
And as usual, Malaysia’s most notorioous blogger @1Obefiend says what’s really on all our minds:
BAD NEWS – @NajibRazak blocks BBC Kangkung news from being accessed in Msia GOOD NEWS – Don’t worry Youporn & Redtube still accessible.
— Effi Obefiend (@1Obefiend) January 15, 2014
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