The New York-based Overseas Press Club of America - a body representing foreign correspondents - urged Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to revert to his pledge not to censor the Internet.

"It pains us to say so, but your (Mahathir) government has a record of suppressing freedom of expression by journalists. Pains us because, as you yourself said two years ago, 'We have accepted that the Internet should be free. And we are not going to interfere,'" it said in a letter sent to Mahathir yesterday.

"We urge you to return to that policy and let malaysiakini publish freely," it added.

The police seized 19 computers, including four servers, from o­nline daily malaysiakini in a controversial raid o­n Jan 20 for "forensic examination" over an allegedly seditious letter published o­n the website.

A day after the raid, malaysiakini was dealt with another blow when it was slapped with an eviction notice from its landlord PC Suria for having committed "activities which contravene the laws of the country".

The raid was in response to a police report lodged by Umno Youth over the letter written by a reader which the youth movement claimed had questioned Malay special rights and the system of racial preferences.

Fifteen central processing units (CPUs) have been returned to malaysiakini in stages, but no word yet o­n the fate of the servers.

Police have also recorded statements from the o­nline daily's editor-in-chief Steven Gan and four other editorial staff.

'Frivolous' reason

The letter, signed by Kevin McDermott and Jeremy Main from the Overseas Press Club's freedom of the press committee, said malaysiakini , with the help of supporters and borrowed computers, was back o­n line within 10 hours.

"Free speech is hard to suppress," they told Mahathir. "Especially o­n the Internet."

According to the club, the reason given for the police action - that Gan ( photo ) refused to divulge the e-mail address of the letter writer - seemed "frivolous".

"The letter was part of a debate in the newspaper started by yourself (Mahathir) when you suggested that Malay Malaysians throw away their 'crutches'", it added.

The protest statement from the Overseas Press Club of America was part of the unprecedented public condemnation from both local and international groups regarding the police raid.

Among those who have issued protest statements include the 10,000-strong Malaysian Bar, Aliran, Hakam, Suaram and international organisations - the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, Bangkok-based Southeast Asian Press Alliance, London-based Amnesty International, Paris-based World Association of Newspapers and the World Editors Forum.