While the Petrof saga is over with the return of the two servers to malaysiakini on July 12, the website faces another probe.

On July 5, Minister of Energy, Water and Communications Dr Lim Keng Yaik informed Parliament that the website is still under investigation for making a communication which is "obscene, indecent, false, menacing or offensive" with intention to "annoy, abuse, threaten or harass" a person.

Section 233 of the Communications and Multi-Media Act 1998 is cited and there may be other possible offences under the Sedition Act and Defamation Act. At present the matter rests on an opinion from the Attorney-General's chambers as to the proper office to investigate the alleged offences.

The present scrutiny of malaysiakini is related to what has been referred to as the 'April Fool prank' where the website posted 'news' claiming that three ministers and a menteri besar were to be charged with corruption. The site also posted an accompanying second report revealing the joke. The posting was a comment of sorts on the lull in the investigation and prosecution of corrupt government officials.

In the Jan 20, 2003 raid, some 150 people turned up for a candle-light vigil and peaceful assembly outside malaysiakini 's office. Throughout the period of initial investigation at the Dang Wangi police station in Jalan Stadium, readers, human rights defenders and supporters accompanied the editors and reporters with placards and chants or by just being there. People came in support of a free forum.

Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has the vote of the electorate in his fight against corruption. But some 25 high profile cases involving high ranking politicians are still under investigation, even after five years.

We do not know if the prime minister was ruffled or as ruffled as his ministers who had called for investigations into the malaysiakini prank.