Opposition leader Lim Kit Siang today expressed surprise that Malaysia Today webmaster Raja Petra Kamarudin was not questioned on his articles during a marathon police interrogation yesterday.

"Totally incredible!" exclaimed the veteran politician in reaction to how the police had avoided questioning Raja Petra on the numerous corruption allegations against high ranking politicians and civil servants in Malaysia Today .

Lim said failing to show interest in Raja Petra's allegations would not enhance the police's public standing in view of rising crime rates and increasing public fear of crime.

"Hasn't the police more important things to do than harass Raja Petra and bloggers like reducing crime and eradicating the fear of crime - or investigate his detailed allegations in his many articles about power abuses and high-level corruption by political leaders and public officials?

"Is the police an independent... service to uphold (the) law to catch criminals... including the high-and-mighty in politics and government, or is it just an instrument of the powers-that-be to carry out its dirty work to victimise and harass critics and dissent?" he asked.

Raja Petra was called to the Dang Wangi district police headquarters yesterday and made more than 30 pages of statements during the eight-hour session.

Grilled on comments

Speaking to reporters later, Raja Petra said the police aimed to establish the identities of those who have left comments on Malaysia Today .

He was also shown about a dozen allegedly inflammatory comments on Malaysia Today , which was attached to the police report initially lodged by Umno information chief Muhammad Muhammad Taib.

Taib had alleged in the police report that Raja Petra had posted articles which were harmful to Malaysia's fragile social fabric and had insulted the King and Islam.

Raja Petra was the second prominent blogger hauled up by the police in two weeks.

On July 13, PKR webmaster and blogger Nathaniel Tan was remanded for four days to facilitate investigations into an alleged breach of the Official Secrets Act 1972.

The two incidents have led to fear among the blogging community that the government was attempting to silence dissent in cyberspace.