KUALA LUMPUR - MALAYSIAN leaders have stepped up calls for bloggers to be controlled, with one Umno party leader describing cyberspace as being governed by 'the law of the jungle'.

Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, quoted by The Star's online edition, said bloggers were as liable for defamation as publishers of printed materials.

'It is wrong for bloggers to go overboard, especially if they post slanderous articles against the King and Islam on the website,' he was quoted as telling reporters.

'This is not something one can take lightly,' Datuk Seri Abdullah added.

His comments were the latest official warning to bloggers since a senior politician from Umno lodged a police report last Monday against a political website, Malaysia Today, and its webmaster Raja Petra Kamarudin.

Umno information chief Muhammad Muhammad Taib alleged that postings on the blog insulted Islam and the King and contained elements that could cause racial tension.

Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin wanted bloggers to realise that they are not above the law.

'There are no laws in the cyberworld except for the law of the jungle. As such, action must be taken so that the monkeys behave,' he said.

Malaysia's de facto law minister Nazri Abdul Aziz accused bloggers of using cyberspace to post slanderous material.

He was referring to allegations of corruption against Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan and former Anti-Corruption Agency chief Zulkipli Mat Noor, who have have been cleared of any wrongdoing.

'Slander by bloggers, if not curtailed, will in the end cause the people to lose their confidence in the government, and it is for this reason that they should be made accountable for their reports,' Datuk Seri Nazri said.

He also warned bloggers to exercise caution in their articles and to lodge reports directly to the Anti-Corruption Agency, rather than post unfair accusations on their websites.

Datuk Seri Nazri had sparked concerns over online freedom last week when he said the government was drafting new laws for bloggers.

He said the authorities would not hesitate to use the Internal Security Act, which allows for detention without trial, against bloggers who insult Islam or stir up sensitive topics.

Mr Nathaniel Tan, a webmaster with an opposition party, had been detained by police in connection with a probe under the Official Secrets Act.

The police report against prominent political writer Raja Petra led to his interrogation by police for sedition.

The authorities have not made clear which of Raja Petra's articles were allegedly seditious, and Raja Petra says he does not know too.

Raja Petra's blog comprises mostly of articles critical of the government, as with many of Malaysia's popular blogs that offer political commentaries.

Many see these two events as the start of a crackdown on those who attack the Abdullah administration, with a view to muzzling dissent before the next general election.

ASSOCIATED PRESS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

SHOWING THEM WHO'S BOSS

'There are no laws in the cyberworld except for the law of the jungle. As such, action must be taken so that the monkeys behave.'
UMNO YOUTH DEPUTY CHIEF KHAIRY JAMALUDDIN