Hypocrisy

Late last month The Star, a local newspaper, carried an article about the Malaysian governments crack down on piracy. It involved a campaign to make tourists aware that purchasing counterfeit movies and software was a criminal offence. Posters had been put up in the airports warning that a fine could be levied - anywhere between MR2000 and MR20,000 - on those that were found in possession. The crime could also carry a jail sentence. An official spokesman said that it was important that Malaysia cleaned up its image, it was not good that tourist went back home and said that they had all this copied material from Malaysia. Several men had already been detained for investigation, all of Asian origin.

Considering that the counterfeit material the article was talking about is openly on sale in shopping centers in KL, this is hypocrisy indeed, pure international window-dressing.