The government has abandoned its plan to regulate Internet usage as the task appears to be impossible, said a high-level government official today. The official, who requested anonymity, told malaysiakini although the Energy, Communications and Multimedia Ministry and the Home Affairs Ministry had discussed plans to restrict the Internet, the proposal fell through as the ministries found it extremely tedious to do so.

"It's impossible to do it. They found no way to control the Internet unless an agreement is reached with the US government, as most of the servers are hosted in that country," he added.

However to regulate subversive or anti-government websites, the official said, the government could impose a virtual barrier to bar access to these sites.

"But this has not happened yet. The government is still holding on to its guarantee that the Internet is free," he added.

Last year, Energy, Communications and Multimedia Ministry's Parliamentary Secretary Chia Kwang Chye said only clauses in the Communications and Multimedia Act related to technological development in the IT industry would be reviewed.

He said the ministry's intention was more inclined to educating users, such as parents, on the software available to prevent their children from viewing 'undesirable' sites.

Chia denied there was a plan to curb Internet usage although he conceded that it was only fair to prosecute those who abuse it.

However, this contradicted Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Dr Rais Yatim's statement last year that the government will 'unleash another set of missiles' on web-based publications that threaten the country's security.

Rais, who is also de facto law minister refused to reveal details of the planned assault.

He explained that laws pertaining to crimes in virtual space have to be streamlined to catch up with the rapidly changing scenario and a task force was already studying the matter.

Controversial issue

Censorship has long been a controversial issue between local authorities and civil rights groups.

With the restrictive Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) looming threateningly over the print and electronic media, dissenting voices have resorted to the Internet to publish views critical of the government.

These view are protected by Section 3(3) of the Communications and Multimedia Act which reads: "Nothing in this Act shall be construed as permitting the censorship of the Internet".

News of the government's intention to curb unfavourable websites first broke when Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad proposed a review of the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) last year.

Although it was widely speculated that the government would introduce an amendment bill to the PPPA in the current parliament session which begun yesterday, nothing to that effect had taken place.

Several bills such as the Securities Commission (Amendment) Bill 2001, Income Tax (Amendment) Bill 2001, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (Amendment) Bill 2001, Malaysian Examinations Council (Amendment) Bill 2001 and Education (Amendment) Bill 2001 were mentioned for second reading yesterday.

However, the amendments to the PPPA could be introduced in the next parliament session in June and may encompass licensing provisions for Internet news providers.

Last month, Home Affairs Ministry secretary-general Aseh Che Mat reportedly told a group of newspaper editors that plans were being made to amend the PPPA to include the Internet.

However, this was later denied by Rais.