It is too early to say if there will be a government crackdown on bloggers, said former New Straits Times Group editor A Kadir Jasin.

However, Kadir, a blogger himself, felt that such an action would be unlikely.

"I don't think so (there will be a crackdown). It's too early to say that," he said when met at the sidelines of a forum on bloggers in Shah Alam today.

Yesterday, Umno information chief Muhammad Muhammad Taib lodged a report at the Dang Wangi police station against Malaysia Today for posting articles which allegedly insulted the King and Islam.

It is learned that Malaysia Today webmaster Raja Petra Raja Kamarudin will be investigated under the Sedition Act, Penal Code and the Multimedia and Communications Act.

The police report came hot on the heels of the arrest of PKR webmaster and blogger Nathaniel Tan over postings on his blog which were said to have contravened the Official Secrets Act.

"Since the police report (against Malaysia Today ) was made by the chairperson of the Umno information bureau, this action will be seen as representing the view of Umno, because he is no ordinary member. His action is on behalf of Umno," said Kadir.

On the same note, the veteran newsman said the majority of bloggers will not likely be affected.

"The bloggers in Malaysia are a very big group of people, several thousands. But what the authorities seem to be targeting are only a small group made up of people who blog on socio-political issues.

"The fact is that the authorities should learn and understand (the nature of) blogs and bloggers, instead of making wild allegations," he added.

Using lawsuits

Meanwhile, Prof Zaharom Nain of Universiti Sains Malaysia said there are attempts to control bloggers through lawsuits, citing Jeff Ooi and Ahirudin Attan, who are currently embroiled in a multi-million ringgit lawsuit for defaming the New Straits Times , as examples.

"Bloggers are creating space for democracy to expand in Malaysia," he said at the forum organised by the Centre for Media and Information Warfare Studies of Universiti Teknologi Mara.

"Bloggers are a consequence of the pathetic state of media freedom in the country. Hence, blogs become necessary," he said.

Malaysiakini editor-in-chief Steven Gan felt that in the age of Internet, increasingly news could come from "any sources", whether from the professionals or amateurs.

However, he added that bloggers must adhere to journalistic standards if they are to be credible.

"We (online journalists) used to be the bad guys. Bloggers are now the bad guys," he said.

During the question-and-answer session, former Utusan Malaysia journalist Abdullah Hamzah Sidek said that malaysiakini is viewed as a pro-opposition news organisation.

"Why can't we have a better choice? Your views should represent everybody. But it seems that you are representing the other side, while the traditional media represents another side.

"We want an online newspaper that speaks for everybody ... even something is good, it should be highlighted," he said.

Responding to this, Gan said malaysiakini "believed in giving coverage to both sides."

"However, the powers-that-be pushed us to the opposition side," he said, citing numerous bans by Umno and police functions on its journalists imposed several years ago as a result of critical articles.

He said except for the top leadership, members of the ruling component parties are generally "cooperative" and that by default, there is more opposition coverage because its members are more accessible.

"A few years back, we used to have a Q&A section with (Education Minister) Hishammuddin Hussein that ran for two months ... But it stopped. Probably he realised the questions from our readers were getting harder or people were telling him 'how come you're talking to malaysiakini ?"