Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has condemned Perkasa's attack on online news portal Malaysiakini as "typical, because they are an extremist, militant-like organisation".

Lim said Perkasa and 13 other NGOs, who call themselves "The Coalition of Penang Malay Representatives" are "completely racist" for lodging 10 police reports against Malaysiakini journalist Susan Loone for an article on the Voluntary Patrol Unit (PPS).

"Lodging police reports on a reporter for covering news (not her opinion) shows what type of NGOs the federal government supports," Lim told reporters in Penang.

"I am sure Malaysiakini will take care of its reporter but we are willing to extend assistance whenever necessary, including legal aid," he added.

"She was just writing news, it is not her opinion, if it was her opinion, you can make reports, but this is covering another person's comment," said the DAP secretary-general.

He was referring to the incident yesterday where Perkasa and its friends claimed that the report headlined " Disoalsiasat selama 4 jam, dakwa dilayan seperti jenayah " published on Monday on Malaysiakini 's Bahasa Malaysia site was "seditious".

Penang Perkasa Youth chief Mohd Rizuad Mohd Azudin accused Loone of "bad intentions" to sow public hatred and anger.

The article was a translation of Loone's report headlined " Exco man grilled for four hours, treated like a criminal " also published on the same day.

The article was based on a telephone interview with PPS chairperson and state cabinet member Phee Boon Poh relating his experience while he was in the interrogation room after he was arrested on Sunday together with 155 other PPS members for allegedly being involved in "illegal" activities.

Phee, 62, who is also Sungai Puyu assemblyperson, was released on police bail together with other PPS members on Monday.

Meanwhile, Lim called on the public to support Malaysiakini, saying it is important, otherwise "everyone is being charged and arrested left right and center".

He said at the rate the sedition charges and reports were lodged against members of the opposition and others, including the academia and media, there was no need to have newspapers.

"No need to have newspapers if they want to silence the online newspaper.

"The mainstream media is gone, now it is only online media which allows views of the rakyat to be heard," he said.

"There is no balance in reporting anymore, especially in the latest mass arrest on the PPS (after they took part in the Merdeka Parade at the Esplanade)," Lim lamented.

"Even among the Chinese press, for the first time, one of them took a total anti-PPS position and indirectly supported the arrests," he claimed.

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