Your top news that Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM)'s student leader, Husnul Hadi Halim, has lodged a police report calling for police investigation of a letter written in his name to malaysiakini is indeed newsworthy.

Most of us would surely sympathise with Husnul who, in the present climate of student persecution by police and university authorities, may have little choice when deciding to lodge the report to clear his name.

I find that malaysiakini , in publishing Husnul's own letter disassociating himself with the earlier letter, has done what is expected in the industry of responsible journalism. Your report stated that an apology was extended to Husnul and this was confirmed by Husnul in the press conference.

The matter would surely end there. However, the sincerity of the police report is marred by the other actors in the drama.

UUM's vice-chancellor and Zainuddin Maidin's clamour for an investigation on malaysiakini for 'incitement' and 'sedition' is really a very poor show of the desperate attempt to bring malaysiakini to heel. It is like a broken record, repeating past threats.

These words do not appear to have been used by Husnul in his report or in the press conference. The student Husnul - with the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) and even the Internal Security Act (ISA) hanging over him - is sadly being used as a conduit for the authorities to vent its frustrations against the independent news portal.

Police should exercise the greatest of restrain in this case. Police resources should not be abused by the powers that be. Remember the people are watching!