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.