The government may mount an assault on the Internet to clampdown on freedom of speech, jeopardizing the country's economy and its future of becoming an knowledge-based society, an opposition leader warned today.

DAP national chairman Lim Kit Siang said in a statement recent events in the country signalled the possibility of the Internet being the next victim in prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's "rampage".

Mahathir's recent speeches and the seven Internal Security Act (ISA) arrests last week indicated that the government may launch an assault on the Internet next, said Lim.

"In his menacing speech after the presentation of the Third Outline Perspective Plan (OPP3) in Parliament, Mahathir hinted the government was ready to break away from 'international norms,'"he said.

"The next target of Mahathir's rampage is the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) Bill of Guarantee which assures no Internet censorship," said Lim.

Five years ago, the Malaysian government expressed its commitment to no-censorship policy for the Internet as part of its strategy to lure investors to the MSC.

'Despicable'

Yesterday, the prime minister said the government denounced 'total press freedom' and may amend media laws concerning the Internet.

According to Mahathir, he had seen messages calling for his death on the Internet.

Lim who labeled such messages as "despicable", said the messages calling for Mahathir's death, however, should not be used to justify any further disablement of freedom of expression in the country.

"I have not seen such messages. But if they do exist, then I would be the first to denounce them," he said.

"Nevertheless, considering the nature of the Internet, there can be no excuse for any further clampdown on what little there is left of such freedom in the country," he added.

Lim warned that Internet censorship would constitute a risk to the MSC project and Malaysia's future as a knowledge-based economy.

Mahathir also announced the government's intention to amend the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) to make it 'more relevant and effective.'

Accurate picture

Keadilan deputy president Dr Chandra Muzaffar in another statement said the government should undertake other measures if it was truly concerned about the 'lies and distortions in the media'.

"Malaysia is encumbered by the PPPA which deters genuine investigative journalism. There are also punitive measures in the Act and in other laws such as the Official Secrets Act (OSA) and the Internal Security Act (ISA)," he said.

Among the measures recommended by Chandra were to establish an autonomous media council to ensure the media, including the Internet, adhered to proper ethics and to ensure that the government-controlled media provided a more accurate picture of national affairs.

The PPPA requires the proprietor of any press or periodical in Malaysia to apply for a annual licence issued by the Home Affairs Ministry.

Several pro-reform publications such as Detik and Al-Wasilah were banned last year when the ministry denied them their publication permits, while the publication of PAS' party organ Harakah was reduced from bi-weekly to bi-monthly.