For those of us familiar with the methods of a desperate and dictatorial regime, what happened yesterday was no surprise. The surprise is that malaysiakini has survived thus far. I salute all malaysiakini staff for braving the risks and their determination and persistence to continue doing what they believe in.

For the record, I do not fully agree with the stuff written by Petrof, but I do not see anything seditious beyond him expressing what we thinking Malay Malaysians have suspected were the frustrations of a large section of our Chinese and Indian citizenry, rightly or wrongly . Such letters help me understand better the minds of my fellow citizens. Without these views, I would end up formulating my opinion in a vacuum. That would be a sad state of affairs to be deprived of easily available information or disinformation, whatever the case may be, in this era of easy communications.

There is no harm in open debate, especially in a forum in cyberspace where the participants, active or passive, are generally educated and not easily moved by libelous and emotional outbursts. I shudder to think that the government has no confidence in the maturity of its intellectual elite. Where would that leave us in our competition with those who enjoy the freedom to think and test their thoughts?

For you, my journalist friends in malaysiakini , it is indeed "press freedom shot to pieces". For me, it is an attempt to blind me, after the government has spent hundreds of thousands of ringgit to open my eyes and my mind in the name of education. And it is not as if I believe everything I read and watch. Because if that is the case, then judging by the deluge of government information and disinformation in the mainstream press and television, I should have been with the Umno Youth delegation making the stupid police report!

I guess you would not be geting a lot of letters at this time. We know that the government has the means to trace the identity of letter writers. This letter from me is my own small way to let you know that I am willing to share your risks and to show my gratitude to malaysiakini for printing my opinion every now and then, thus enabling me to participate in a forum not available to me elsewhere in 'Boleh-land'.

Hold your head up and may Allah bless you.