WikiLeaks - Could This Cause the Next Rift Between Malaysia and Singapore?

Recently while at work, a fellow colleague of mine pointed out in the CNN news that we now have an archive website (something like wikipedia) that allegedly houses some of the most secured government based information from all around the world, with the sole purpose of leaking it all out to the public.

[Wikileaks homepage]

For most of you guys out there who don't already know about this website, the entire concept of the information spread by this website is based on highly secret information given or retrieved by anonymous researchers for the sole purpose of exposing any secret or hidden information from governmental bodies and inform the society of the "real truth" of things.

I have to admit that after being told of the site, I became intrigued myself and went around to check out the website itself and sure enough, the stories that they cover within that website is somewhat interesting as well as scary in the same time. Military scandals, specific accusations of one government to another, secret meetings within bodies, truth be told that one read over the information in this site reminds you very much of the mystery covered in the X-Files (minus the "anal-friendly-miniature-green-dudes").

 

For most of the times, most Malaysians like myself would dismiss this as it would usually not concern this side of the world and for most of times, many of us would even take it as "entertainment-reading" as one would have to admit that it is rather intriguing to see how this would end up on the western side of the world. Unfortunately today, we now face a problem far nearer to our shores than we would expect it to be.

"PUTRAJAYA: Singapore's High Commissioner to Malaysia T. Jasudasen was summoned by Wisma Putra over unjustified comments made by Singapore officials on Malaysia's leadership."

The Star Online

With the problems that we have faced between the two countries, now we face a new problem on whether or not this would be the main cause of the people of the two countries to collide. With allegations that several key-persons in Singapore allegedly making statements on the administrative works in Malaysia, including their take on the "Anwar Ibrahim Case", it does leave little room for interpretation on how people are going to react to this. The obvious question is now is, what is going to happen next?

[Could this change?]

Right now, my main concern would always be the same when it comes to incidents like this, should an information leak like this be a benefit for the people or should it be kept a secret as how it was intended to be. I honestly believe that the last thing that anyone wants, from either side of the country is to start hating each other over what one person would have said about the country, let alone be angry over revelations that can't even be confirmed. A rift that can further incite more anger among the people that it already is.

As for my opinion, I still stand to my principles that if a right of "freedom of speech" is used to either harm other parties or used for their own benefit without the care of others, then they have no right to use that freedom in the first place. In this situation we can see that from two different situations:

1. If the use of Wikileaks are only to make things worse for the relationship between the two parties, then what's the point? An archived information service is to make better of the public rather than sour diplomatic relationship between two countries.

2. If proven through, then the person making those statements have no right to make those statements in the first place as he himself would not want to see the same mentions to be done to him.

So the question is, would something like this be a boon to both of the countries or secrets like this should be told to the public, as we are asking for a transparent administration to run the country? Would love to hear your opinions on this, as for me I know this would be a great tehtarik session topic to discuss later.

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