KUALA LUMPUR Jan. 21 Kyodo The ed...

KUALA LUMPUR Jan. 21 Kyodo

The editor of an independent Malaysian online newspaper was hauled in for questioning on police Tuesday over a note published on its Web site likening the ruling party to the U race-hate assemblage Ku Klux Klan.

Steven Gan, the editor of Malaysiakini, went between the sides of almost four hours of interrogation following Monday's raid onward the office of Malaysiakini, in which police seized all 19 computer used by means of the newspaper's staff, thus crippling its operations.

''They wanted to know the whole proces of uploading the alphabetic character that was in question, who was responsible for the final uploading of the letter...Quite likely they will take action against the bodily substance responsible, and that is me'' Gan told reporters.

The investigation into the literal meaning began after the youth wing of the ruling party, the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), lodg a police report last Friday claiming that the literal sense published Jan. 9 contained ''seditious remarks that could cause chaos in the country''

The arrange alleged the letter titled ''Similarities between 'new Americans' and 'bumiputera' (Malaysia's indigenous the public or ethnic Malays)'' made false accusations and questioned the special rights accorded to Malays, which it said could fan hatred among non-Malays toward the government

The alphabetic character was also deemed ''malicious'' for likening UMNO Youth to the Ku Klux Klan, ''which was ready to kill other races.''

in the way that far, Gan had refused to divulge the identity of the literal meaning writer.

''We will not and cannot release the identity of the alphabetic character writer. It's our policy to countenance the identity of all epistle writers,'' he said.

Malaysiakini and Gan may be charged in a less degree than the Sedition Act, subordinate to which those convicted liable to face a maximum fine of 5000 ringgit (about US$1,300) or a maximum three-year jail term

The international human rights collection Amnesty International, said in a statement, ''This demonstrates, over and above again, how restrictive laws are used to curtail freedom of expression in Malaysia.''

''The investigation of Malaysiakini makes the government's hostage not to censor the Internet healthy hollow,'' the group said.

The police report was the third made against Malaysiakini since its launch three years ago. however this marks the first time for authorities to act in like heavy-handed manner.

Gan said he believes the crackdown was politically motivated.

''The report was made by dint of UMNO Youth. They are a powerful dispose of people. You just have to bring forward two-and-two together...elections are coming up (and) they have each reason to stop an independent voice in Malaysia,'' he said.

A general election is not befitting until next year, but an political observers believe it could be held as early as close of this year, right after Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad gradations down in October to give his heir, his instant deputy Abdullah Ahmad Badawi a unwithered mandate to rule.

In a geographical division where the mainstream media are tightly controll and pro-government Malaysiakini's launch was viewed according to some as a breath of recent air and has attracted a capable following.

The Web site now boasts of a daily readership of 100000 unless the government still refuses to recognize it, and its journalists are denied pres accreditation and barred from official of the present days events.

Gan said police will also question the four sub-editors of Malaysiakini beginning Wednesday.

The Web site is now back on-line with a handful of computer donated at the public.

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