Besieged blogger Jeff Ooi has refused to respond to the print and broadcast media over a controversial remark in his weblog Screenshots because he believes that they will "twist" his remarks.

"I don't trust them. I have my own channel to reach out to my readers so I don't see any point in talking to the mainstream press," he added when contacted today.

Screenshots - which has been dubbed as Malaysia's most influential blog - has come under fire over an allegedly blasphemous comment posted by a person calling himself 'Anwar', which ridiculed the concept of Islam Hadhari.

The issue found its way to the front-page of Berita Harian which quoted an anonymous source as criticising Ooi "for failing to control the forum".

According to Anwar, the comparison of Islam Hadhari and Umno's money politics to water and oil - that they do not mix - was not accurate. He argued that it would be more apt to liken the two to "faeces and urine".

Ooi had responded to the offending posting by rebuking the writer and banning him from further contributing to his weblog's forum on Oct 1, a day before Berita Harian published its report.

Deputy Internal Security Minister Noh Omar later warned that the Internal Security Act (ISA) could be invoked against the blogger.

Over the weekend, Utusan Melayu and New Straits Times had attempted in vain to elicit comments from Ooi.

Legal action

Ooi, an e-business consultant, said his official stand on the matter and response to the attacks against him are available on Screenshots , which he started last year.

He said he has been advised by several corporate and criminal lawyers to take legal action against the New Straits Times Press group, which also publishes Berita Harian .

"I am exploring this with the lawyers to protect my integrity," he explained.

However, in view of the controversy, Ooi said he is considering changing his web content management system from the current system - where postings are automatically published - to a moderated system.

"For my own interest, I may have to consider changing it to a moderated blog but this will definitely be a pity for the Internet community. It would be a step back," he said.

However, he also noted that lack of resources could hamper this plan.

"Twenty-four hour surveillance is humanly impossible," he said, adding that a moderated system is not common in the world of blogging.

Elaborating, Ooi said he has already undertaken measures to partially moderate his blog and this included 'pre-emptive' mandatory authentication of commentators and 're-active' periodical monitoring on the content of discussions that are posted.

"I have taken all measures to moderate, to my level best," he said, but refused to comment on the threat to use the ISA against him.

Meanwhile, Energy, Communications and Multimedia Minister Dr Lim Keng Yaik declined to comment on whether action would be taken against Ooi.

He told reporters in Kuala Lumpur this morning that he would have to wait for a report from the Communication and Multimedia Commission before making any decisions.

Ironically, Lim also ticked off Berita Harian for distorting his comments.

The minister took the Malay daily to task for reporting in its front-page today that he was studying some form of action to be taken against Ooi.

"How could they create a story when I only said 'no comment'?" he asked.

'Red herring'

In a related development, Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang said Ooi should be not be made a 'red herring' to divert public attention from allegations of money politics in Umno.

He singled out Umno Youth deputy head Khairy Jamaluddin ( photo, left ) and NSTP group editor-in-chief Kalimullah Hassan ( photo, right ), whom he referred to as 'Pak Lah's (Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) 2Ks'.

"The attacks on Ooi are completely unwarranted when the '2Ks' know that the offensive reference to Islam Hadhari was not made by the blogger but by an anonymous poser who signed off as 'Anwar'," Lim said in a statement.

"To his credit, Ooi had immediately rebutted and rebuked 'Anwar' for his offensive and provocative language."

He added that the 'Ks' "may have personal scores to settle with Ooi and Screenshots , but should not pounce an issue of such sensitivity especially when Ooi has acquitted himself most correctly and honourably".