The Malaysian Government has said it will imprison anyone using the
internet to spread lies or threaten others.
Chia Kwang Chye of the Communications and Multimedia Ministry told
Malaysia's parliament that it would be considered an offence to solicit
or post any comment, request or suggestion obscene and threatening in
nature to others over any facilities or network services.
The announcement came in response to a politician's question on what
action the government was considering taking against the militant
Islamic Al-Ma'unah cult, which had used its website to call for jihad or
holy war.
Earlier this month Al-Ma'unah cult members were involved in a four-day
siege with thousands of soldiers and police after they stole a large
cache of weapons from two military bases in the north of the country.
Three hostages were seized by the group, two of whom were killed during
the siege.
In the following weeks the government has said investigations into the
cult had revealed that it had been using the internet as a tool to
spread unrest through the mainly Muslim country.
Web activists
The emergence of the Al-Ma'unah has focused government attention on the
growing use of the net by radical religious factions and anti-government
activists.
Malaysia has been keen to promote the use of the internet as the basis
for the development of a hi-tech knowledge economy.
A large swathe of land near the capital, Kuala Lumpur, has been
designated a "Multimedia Supercorridor", designed to attract the cream
of the world's e-commerce to the country.
However the government, which has held a strong grip over traditional
broadcast and print media, has found itself the subject of mounting
criticism from web-based opposition groups.
Following the sacking of deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim in 1998 for
example, opponents of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad launched dozens of
websites to campaign against his rule.
Correspondents say the result has been to deepen scepticism and
hostility among middle-class, educated Malaysians towards the government
and towards Dr Mahathir in particular.
BBC News
