Happy sixth birthday, malaysiakini! I read your editorial with a touch of joy and sadness as well.

Joy as there it is now another avenue for us to voice our concerns - concerns that would have been sent to the 'Recyle Bin' in other publications. Sadness because after nearly six years, some Malaysians still do not see the need or the importance of having an alternative media.

I only started following this online publication after reading about the ridiculous raid and am sure many others came aboard that way too.

Malaysiakini (together with Aliran Monthly) and many other 'rebel' publications are crucial for the dissemination of information. Why anyone wishes to close them down is beyond me. Probably because publications such as malaysiakini and Aliran Monthly pursue equal rights and social justice for all.

I wonder when Malaysians will ever learn that it is just not enough to wake up and make noise only when bad things happen to you but make noise also when others are being discriminated against and oppressed.

I am sure many who turned to malaysiakini to highlight their plight never bothered with it when they were on the 'right side' of the government. But they realised the importance of an independent media when the hand that fed them suddenly started slapping them instead.

Anyway, for the sake of our future and the future of our children, I sincerely hope that malaysiakini will celebrate many more birthdays right up to a 100 and over.