More international support pour in for malaysiakini as the Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CFE) expressed its grave concern over the recent police raid o­n the independent web-based news company.

CJFE, a non-governmental organisation that works to promote and protect press freedom around the world, is asking the High Commissioner of Malaysia in Canada to convey its concerns to Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi ( photo ).

In a letter to commissioner AW Omardin in O­ntario, CJFE requested that all 19 malaysiakini computers seized by police be returned at o­nce.

Yesterday, police released six CPUs which were collected by the company's staff and friends at the Dang Wangi police station.

" Malaysiakini has won international prizes for its news coverage of your country. CJFE strongly urges the Malaysian government to take steps to encourage an open and free media, rather than silencing independent media voices," said its programme manager Tariq Hassan-Gordon.

A copy of the letter issued Tuesday has also been sent to the Canadian High Commissioner for Kuala Lumpur, Jean McCloskey, and the Southeast Asia Press Alliance in Thailand.

Writer's identity

The raid o­n Monday was in response to a police report lodged by Umno Youth that malaysiakini published a 'seditious' letter which purportedly questioned Malays special rights.

Police seized 15 CPUs and four servers from the office during a raid two days ago, after a 90-minute meeting with senior staff.

Editor-in-chief Steven Gan, who was questioned intensively by Dang Wang police yesterday over the decision to publish the letter, has refused to disclose the identity of the writer o­n journalistic principle. He has taken responsibility for uploading the letter.

The incident and related issues have received widespread media coverage locally and internationally. Several human rights and media advocacy groupings have expressed outrage over the police action.

Comments from public-interest groups have echoed calls to the Malaysian government to uphold its commitment to keep Internet content free of official control, and to expand press freedom, access to information and the right to free expression.

Women to the fore

On the local front, women's groups have also come out to voice their support for malaysiakini.

Sisters In Islam, All Women's Action Society, Women's Aid Organisation, Women's Agenda for Change and Women's Development Collective slammed the police action as a "serious violation of freedom of expression".

In a joint press statement today, they said the police could have avoided the drastic action taken by interviewing the editor first.

"Moreover, malaysiakini 's management had offered to facilitate police investigation and pointed out that o­nly o­ne computer was used to receive letter from the public," they said.

The women also called o­n Umno Youth "to develop a culture of challenging ideas with ideas" as an outright violation of the right of expression "will o­nly instil increased misunderstanding and hostility".

Acknowledging that in multiethnic and multireligioius Malaysia, dicussion o­n issues that touch o­n rights and privileges "can be sensitive", the women's groups nevertheless believe it can be done through dialogue and debate that are "rational, responsible and respectful of the rights, interests and sensitivities of others".

No necessity

In an earlier press statement, WDC called for the resolution of any disagreement that Umno Youth may have with malaysiakini "in a civil manner and through an open forum or discussion".

"There is no necessity for the police to use the Sedition Act against malaysiakini . The actions taken by Umno Youth and the police have serious repercussions and are aimed at crippling the virtual newspaper," said WDC executive director Maria Chin Abdullah.

She said the undemocratic actions taken by the police o­nly go to prove "victimisation and non-tolerance" for alternative views.

WDC reiterated the demand made by various NGOs that the police return immediately and unconditionally all operating equipments taken so that the website could continue to function effectively as a media house.