Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has given his assurance that the government will not restrict the free flow of information on the Internet.

However, he warned that the government will not hesitate to act against bloggers who flout the law.

In a parliamentary written reply, Abdullah, who is also the internal security minister, explained that the arrest of Nathaniel Tan and the police report against Raja Petra Kamarudin are normal actions taken against individuals who 'break the law'.

"The arrest and the police report are usual procedures followed by the police," he said, adding that such actions do not mean that the government is stifling dissent.

Abdullah was replying to Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur) who asked the internal security minister to state whether the arrest of Tan and the police report against Raja Petra marked the beginning of a clampdown against bloggers.

Tan was investigated for alleged breach of Section 8 of the Official Secrets Act 1972, in relation to a comment left on his blog linking Deputy Internal Security Minister Mohd Johari Baharum to a corruption allegation.

Meanwhile, Raja Petra was called in for questioning following a police report that was lodged against his website Malaysia Today by Umno information chief Muhammad Muhammad Taib for allegedly publishing disparaging remarks against the King and Islam.

Crimes against tourists

In an unrelated development, the Dewan Rakyat was told that tourists visiting Malaysia have lodged 793 police reports since the launch of Visit Malaysia Year 2007.

"According to the statistics provided by the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM), snatch thefts tops the list of reports, followed by robberies and break-ins," said Deputy Internal Security Minister Johari.

Johari (BN-Kubang Kerian) explained that almost 78 percent of the cases were reported in Kuala Lumpur. This was followed by Penang with 14 percent.

He was replying Fong Po Kuan (DAP-Batu Gajah) who asked the internal security minister for the number of police reports filed by tourists since the Visit Malaysia Year 2007.

In a supplementary question, she also asked if the government has taken any action against police officers who have failed to protect the tourists.

Responding, Johari said: "We always care for the safety of tourists. We are installing CCTVs in certain areas in the city. However, crime does not often occur in the town centre but along the highways."

"However, the police are always monitoring the situation," he said, adding that more often than not, tourists entering the country also commit crimes.