KUALA LUMPUR: Blogger Jeff Ooi has agreed to publish in full an apology by the person who posted a remark inciting people to "shoot for good" Nexnews group executive editor P. Gunasegaram over an article he wrote.

This was agreed at a mediation meeting called by the chairman of the Complaints Bureau of the Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (CMCF) to day (Aug 29, 2006) following a complaint filed by Gunasegaran with CMCF on Aug 3 (2006).

Gunasegaram had written an article "The Myth of Mahathir's Invincibility" which appeared in theSun and was reproduced on the website.

Several people responded and someone identified as Illmran suggested that Gunasegaram be shot for his views on Mahathir. The posting "Somebody please shoot this Gunasegaran for good" was subsequently removed after Gunasegaram complained.

Besides agreeing to publish in full Illmran's apology dated Aug 28 (2006) to Gunasegaram, Ooi has also agreed to:

• Continue to remove such offensive phrases or words as soon as practicable; and
• Display prominently a further warning that blog commentators are responsible for their own postings and could be liable to legal action or prosecution.

The mediation meeting was called by Complaints Bureau chairman Datuk Mohamed Bazain Idris who invoked Part 8 Clause 3.5 of the Content Code for the parties to reach an amicable settlement by mutual consultation,

Bazain said this was the first sitting and mediation by the complaints bureau since it was activated recently.

"As the bureau's first legal chairman, I was just following procedures provided by the Content Code to call for mediation so the parties could settle the issue amicably. The basic idea is to self regulate," said Bazain who became chairman on July 15 (2006).

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