Malaysiakini.com was raided yesterday by the police. Its computers and servers essential to operations were seized. It is currently being investigated for publishing a letter that contained seditious remarks.
The trail of events + my personal comments can be found below.
The "Letter" - Similarities between new Americans and bumiputera
I found the letter slightly hard to read and difficult to understand, though the underlying tone of discontent was clear. In fact, i don't understand why UMNO Youth even bothered to dignify what was written with such a strong response... unless its message contained more than an ounce of truth and needed to be shut up. Its like pointing a finger at someone and shouting "Thief!". Only a real thief would have any reason to run.
The "Response" - UMNO Youth lodges a police report
Azimi Daim, UMNO Youth's information head, made the report alleging that Malaysiakini.com did not take care in publishing letters that could "create chaos in the country". He also said that the Malay Special Rights that are enshrined in the Constitution should not be challenged - this is strange; maybe he does not realize that Constitutional ammendments are possible and are provided for by law. How do you ammend the Constitution if you aren't allowed to discuss it?
Updated (22/01/03): I was told that "The rights under Part III, Article 152, 153 and 181 of the Federal Constitution may not be questioned in any context. These cover matters of status, rights and privileges, among others."
The "Raid" - Police raid Malaysiakini
What struck me as unreasonable is that the police took computers that are in no way related to the letter they were investigating. The editorial team that publishes the letters probably use no more than 2 or 3 computers, while the rest would be used for the everyday operations of the site (sans "Letters"). Why the need to take them all? Without these computers, the site would be crippled.
The "Peoples' Response" - Letters from the public
This particular letter i found interesting because it points out that the rhetoric from UMNO Youth over the years has been much more graphic and "seditious" than the letter they are complaining about. "Bathing [their] keris'" in the "blood of minorities"? "Cina babi" (Chinese pigs)? Oh dear.
Overall, this is a potential PR disaster for UMNO in general and UMNO Youth in particular. Especially, in a potential election year, i would have thought it a better strategy to batten down the hatches and not draw controversy to oneself. Raiding a popular, independent news portal is anything but. The Opposition parties are going to lap this one up like the hot potato that it is: its not everyday that your opponent put out a sign that says "Shoot me".
