ABSTRACT
This chapter explores how the government must continually renegotiate the legal matrix of the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) as demands for democratization are made by domestic and foreign citizens. Particular attention is paid to how the government is more responsive to demands to democratize made by foreign commercial actors than domestic human rights activists. The chapter explores how the government responds when an International Advisory Panel (IAP) member says 'don't invest in Malaysia'. While the government had ignored or militarily cracked-down on domestic dissent and virulently attacked foreign human rights critics, when the demands came from a member of the Advisory Panel, the government responded differently. This responsiveness demonstrates the power of foreign commercial actors in the human rights field. The MSC would draw resources from the rest of the country, but only selectively return the favor. A negotiation ensued over whether free speech on the Internet would be a matter affecting commerce.
