Another reformasi website linked to jailed ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim was removed by a British-based web server for carrying "inflammatory" material.

Black14 (www.black14.net), which was launched to commemorate the day when Anwar was convicted for corruption on April 14, 2000, was the second website shut down by UK-based host Easyspace without notice.

Raja Petra Kamarudin said he believed political motives were behind the sudden closure on Dec 11 of his popular three-year old Free Anwar Campaign website (www.freeanwar.com) by host server Easyspace.

This site is run by Anwar's supporters to mark his sacking by former premier Mahathir Mohamad in 1998 and subsequent sentencing to six years jail for abuse of power and a further nine years for sodomy. He has appealed to higher courts against his convictions and sentences.

Loss of database

"They (Easyspace) said they received complaints of inflammatory material on the free Anwar website that need to be removed but they did not say who had complained nor what were the items considered inflammatory," said Raja Petra.

"There was no warning and no explanation for the move. I suspect this is politically motivated because both the websites are on the same server and both linked to Anwar."

Raja Petra has appealed to Easyspace but said if efforts fail he will seek to retrieve his database of thousands of files of pictures and news, as well as to maintain the domain name, before shifting to another host server.

He lost his own database after police confiscated his computer in March 2001 and detained him under a tough security law allowing detention without trial, along with several other activists.

He was released about two months later. - AFP