Police investigation pertaining to a 'blasphemous' comment posted on local weblog Screenshots is still in the preliminary stages, said Federal CID director Musa Hassan today.

He said the investigation was initiated based on media reports regarding the issue.

"We want to determine whether the comment is seditious and we need to identify the parties involved, particularly the author of the (contentious) comment. So far, no police report has been lodged.

"Once the initial probe is completed, we will decide whether to pursue a full investigation," he added when contacted.

He also urged all parties to refrain from making further comments on the issue until the investigation is completed.

Asked if Screenshots owner, Jeff Ooi, will be called in for questioning, he said it would depend on the outcome of the preliminary probe. Musa, however, could not give a time-frame.

Ooi was catapulted into the limelight after Malay-language daily Berita Harian gave the issue front page coverage last Saturday. He has also been accused of failing to control public discussions on the blog.

The offending comment, posted by a person using the pseudonym 'Anwar', had ridiculed the concept of Islam Hadhari during a discussion on money politics and the recently-concluded Umno general assembly.

Yesterday, Berita Harian quoted Energy, Water and Communications Minister Dr Lim Keng Yaik as saying that Mimos Bhd has been tasked to investigate the matter and take action against the author.

It would be easier to prosecute 'Anwar' if he/she was found to be a Malaysian, he reportedly said.

The Multimedia and Communications Commission, under the purview of the ministry, will be working together with Mimos to track down the author.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had condemned the comment as being seditious. Other ministers have since joined in the fray and are now demanding tighter control of web content.

Climate of fear

Local media advocacy group, Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ), today criticised the threats to use preventive detention laws against Ooi.

Its director Sonia Randhawa said the group was disturbed by the willingness shown by the public and the government to use the Internal Security Act against those who were "trying to provide a forum for public discussion".

She also cited allegations by former detainees that they had been tortured during the initial 60-day investigation period.

"Threatening to use this against webmasters serves to create a climate of fear and self-censorship on the Internet," she said in a statement.

"This will also encourage webmasters to host sites anonymously and outside the country, (thus) discouraging open and accountable ownership of websites," she added.

Censorship of the Internet, she said, was explicitly rejected in the Communications and Multimedia Act 2001.

"Clause 3 of the Act states that nothing (therein) may be interpreted as censoring the Internet.

"If Malaysia is serious about its vaunted ambition to be at the forefront of the Information Age, then the government has to stop harassing webmasters and using detention without trial to resolve any perceived problem that is conveniently swept under 'national security'," she added.

Sonia said apart from damaging the country's image internationally, such threats against webmasters also discouraged the free flow of information on local Internet sites which were operating in an already restrictive environment.

Kuala Lumpur-based CIJ is a journalists' initiative engaged in training, advocacy and practical media projects.

Ooi has also refused to respond to queries from the print and broadcast media, fearing that his comments would be 'twisted'.

He has instead posted his response to the issue on Screenshots with regular updates.