KL Internet newspaper evicted from office

KL Internet newspaper evicted from office

Pauline Jasudason, Associated Press, Kuala Lumpur

An Internet newspaper has been ordered to leave its offices after
it ran afoul of Malaysia's governing party for publishing a
letter critical of government policies.

A notice served on Friday by landlord PC Suria, a computer
company, accused Malaysiakini.com of being "involved in
activities which contravene the laws of the country."

The order came four days after police raided Malaysiakini's
offices and seized computers following a complaint lodged by the
youth wing of the ruling United Malays National Organization
(UMNO) accusing the publication of sedition.

The complaint said Malaysiakini published a letter that
likened Malaysia's affirmative action laws, which benefit the
traditionally poor Malay Muslim ethnic majority, to the U.S.
white supremacist group Ku Klux Klan. The letter could trigger
racial tensions, the complaint said.

The affirmative action laws have been in force for more than
30 years, following bloody riots in 1969 between Malay Muslim and
the country's ethnic Chinese minority. The laws give Malays
preference in education, loans, and government jobs and
contracts.

Malaysiakini has won international awards for its coverage in
a country where traditional media are kept in check by tough
licensing and defamation laws.

PC Suria, owned by government-backed enterprise Nascom, gave
Malaysiakini until next month to leave its leased office. PC
Suria officials were not immediately available for comment.

Malaysiakini editor Steven Gan said the eviction was "another
attempt by the authorities to shut Malaysiakini down. We've been
trying to negotiate with PC Suria, but they are not willing to
listen."

Malaysiakini will challenge the eviction in court, Gan told
The Associated Press. He vowed to keep the publication going, but
said "harassment from authorities" would hinder finding a new
address.

Gan said the police raid and eviction would greatly damage
Malaysia's efforts to establish itself as an Internet technology
hub - a policy which has generally allowed Web sites to be more
daring than traditional media.

"They are really shooting themselves in the foot," Gan said.
"Investors will feel that authorities will not respect the
confidentiality of the information contained in servers."

Opposition leaders and human rights groups have said the raid
of Malaysiakini's offices appeared to be politically motivated.
Nineteen computers and four servers were seized, causing a
temporary suspension of operations. Several computers have since
been returned.

Police have quizzed Gan and four senior staffers under
sedition laws, which can be punished by a fine and up to three
years in jail. Gan has refused to divulge the identity of the
letter writer, citing professional ethics. He denies the letter
was seditious.