I have been stunned by the overwhelming support to Malaysia's o­nly independent web-based daily malaysiakini and the outpouring of outrage over the police raid of its premise a few days ago.

Critical reactions from the usual foreign bodies

relating to press freedom and human rights are understandable and expected (for which Malaysians are thankful), but the extent and vehemence of outcry from the local bodies at such police action is simply unprecedented and beyond expectation.

The adverse domestic reactions are so widely cast this time that they include not o­nly the usual opposition parties

and non-governmental organisations advocating human rights, but also the usually timid voices of the Bar Council and Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) and even component parties of the ruling Barisan Nasional.

The strange part is, most of these bodies strongly expressed anger and indignation at the way free press and freedom of expression have been violated, as if we have been enjoying these constitutional rights all the time. The fact is, we haven't had a free press for a long time, and also, suppression of political dissent has been so ruthlessly stepped up since the last general election in 1999, that there is no freedom of expression to speak about.

Besides, Malaysians have been domesticated by so much highhanded oppression by the government for so long that such tumultuous reaction from across the board that comprises even the pro-establishment elements must have come as a surprise.

Why should the recent assault o­n malaysiakini arouse such unusual and almost universal condemnation?

The answer lies perhaps in the fact that, without our knowledge, malaysiakini as the o­nly independent press in this country, has grown to be too much of a gem in our life. Malaysians have been starved of independent news and views for too long, and when o­ne such newspaper comes along (be it o­nly a website), we hungrily consume it, finding it quenching our intellectual thirst. And when someone robs that from you, wouldn't you feel the pang of losing something very dear to you, something you have grown emotionally attached to? Wouldn't you fight to get it back?

The malaysiakini staff must be congratulated for having done such a fine job. In spite of its limited size of readership, it has penetrated a crucial sector of the population: the intelligentsia, judging from the spontaneous reactions from the wide spectrum of intellectual bodies in this country.

Hence, the malaysiakini staff can be comforted by the thought that their toil and sacrifices have yielded good harvest - they have contributed significantly to the well-being of this country far disproportionate to their insignificant size when compared to their giant brothers: the printed press.

On a more sober note, it is observed that the local newspapers have given o­nly scant coverage to this incident, hardly mentioning any of the numerous condemnations and protests from overseas and from the local bodies. Due to this deliberate suppression of news by the local press, the average people in the street may not even be aware of the commotion created by this rash act

of the government, as Internet readership is not widespread among the general populace. We must therefore be realistic to the fact that malaysiakini's influence o­n the masses is necessarily limited, so long as the information technology development in this country remains backward.

The fact that the local newspapers have acted in unison to obscure the true picture of universal condemnation of the government from the people is a cruel reminder to us all that we are still governed by a host of repressive laws that rob us of our civil liberties, and that we are still a long way from the day of true freedom of thought, freedom of information and freedom of expression - the basic need and right of every dignified individual.

Having said that, we still take consolation in the fact that the police have quickly returned part of the computers taken away, much earlier than it originally intimidated, thanks to the strong pressure exerted by international and local defenders of freedom.

The present crusading struggles of malaysiakini to bring in some fresh air to the long suffocated Malaysian space is o­nly the beginning of a long and difficult journey. Let us treasure and safeguard what we have achieved and soldier o­n relentlessly.