There was a group of people who cared very much about the Malaysian media's space who have gathered in front of the Internal Security Ministry on May 3 (World Press Freedom Day).

Among the group was Lee Ban Chen, one of malaysiakini's columnist, whose column in the vernacular Oriental Daily was withdrawn abruptly a month ago due to an order 'from above'. The paper, however, refused to say who gave the order when asked by Lee.

Deputy Minister for Internal Security Fu Ah Kiow, when asked on May 4, said that claims that the order to withdraw Lee's column came from the ministry were baseless. He also said demands from civil society to repeal the repressive the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) were from 'a minority'.

It is not hard to imagine, with the PPPA hanging like a Damocles sword over the head of every newspaper editor, that the ministry could make such an order materialise without even having to write it down it black and white.

There are three possibilities why Oriental Daily does not want to disclose who (we all know who) ordered Lee column to be withdrawn. Firstly, with the PPPA hanging like a sword over its neck, the paper does not want to risk the renewal of its publication permit which has yet to be approved.

Secondly, to show any proof of written or verbal command from the ministry or any disclosure of where the order came from is likely to 'kill' Oriental Daily . Thirdly, that there was no order from 'above' at all and the withdrawal of Lee's column was wholly a decision by Oriental Daily .

The third possibility is highly unlikely because a newspaper like Oriental Daily needs as many different writers as a grocery store needs many different suppliers.

Whichever the possibility, it is clear that the Ministry of Internal Security is likely to escape from any direct responsibility given its unlimited and unchecked powers.