Fresh from being cleared of corruption allegations found on an anonymous website, Deputy Internal Security Minister Johari Baharum now wants the police to clampdown on Internet-based "lies".

Johori said that he had instructed the Police Commercial Crimes Investigation Department (CCID) to trace authors that spread "lies" through websites.

"Now all kinds of slander about the nation's leaders are being spread through the Internet. The police must act to prevent them from tarnishing the image of the country," Johari told reporters in Kubang Pasu, Kedah, according to Bernama today.

Johari's comments comes hot on the heels of the arrest of PKR webmaster Nathaniel Tan in Petaling Jaya yesterday.

He is presently being investigated under Section 8 of the Official Secrets Act, over materials that appeared in his blog.

Cannot concentrate

It is believed that the offending material in his blog refers to allegations of corruption against Johari which appeared in an anonymous website .

Subsequently, the Anti-Corruption Agency launched an investigation into the allegations but cleared Johari later.

Johari today expressed gratitude to God that he was cleared of the allegations as he could not fully concentrate on his government duties and general election preparations before that.

"I also received many SMSes from Kubang Pasu Umno members voicing their support for me. It gave me added strength to weather the challenging period (corruption allegations) in my life," he added.