The government will not be drafting new laws to curb Internet abuse, said the Energy, Communications and Multimedia Ministry today.

"This is in line with the Multimedia Super Corridor Bill of Guarantees which was intended to enhance the usage of the Internet and promote the information technology industry," said the ministry in a written statement to DAP member of parliament for Tanjung Chow Kon Yeow.

Further to this, the ministry said educational programmes will be conducted to educate users on the 'proper' usage of the Internet.

"The programmes are targetted at students, parents and teachers, on how to use the Internet 'intelligently, ethically and effectively' for the development of knowledge," the ministry added in its statement.

Chow had asked if the government was in the process of drafting laws to censor the Internet.

Recently, Chia Kwang Chye, parliamentary secretary to the Energy, Communications and Multimedia Ministry, said though there are strict guidelines against the spread of lies and defamatory statements through the medium, the government remained firm that it will not censor any information on the Internet.

Planned assault against websites

This appeared contradictory to minister in the Prime Minister's Department Rais Yatim's statement last month that the government will "unleash another set of missiles" on Internet publications that threaten the country's security.

Rais said details of the planned assault are a secret until the 'missiles' are launched.

The de facto law minister also said laws pertaining to crimes in virtual space have to be streamlined to catch up with the rapidly changing scenario and a task force is already studying the matter.

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

With the restrictive Printing Presses and Publications Act hanging over the print and broadcast media like a sword of Damocles, many dissenting voices have resorted to the Internet to publish views critical of the government.

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

DAP had hailed this part of the act as it said this showed the government had kept its promise laid down in the MSC Bill of Guarantees not to impose filtering of Internet-delivered content.

Unfavourable websites

News of the government's intention to curb unfavourable websites first came about when Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad proposed for a review of the existing media laws such as the PPPA two months ago.

Following this, Rais had said that new laws would be introduced to cleanse the Internet of anti-government materials and pornography.

However, Multimedia Development Corporation executive chairman Dr Othman Yeop Abdullah said the government is only likely to propose a code of contents to serve as a guideline for websites.

Meanwhile, the current parliamentary session has been extended by a week.