(AFP) Malaysia was drafting laws designed to punish people using the Internet to create public disorder and incite violence against the government, a report said today.

Rais Yatim, minister in the prime minister's department was quoted by The Sun newspaper as saying the attorney general's office was in the final stage of drafting laws to make websites accountable for what they publish.

Under the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 the government was unable to take action against such offenders as the it does not cover the Internet, Rais said.

"I have directed the (attorney general's) chambers to formulate laws, which would make it an offence for anyone to post such articles on the Internet," he said.

The printing presses act makes the publication of "malicious news" punishable by jail terms and empowers authorities to ban or restrict the circulation of publications.

Last year authorities severely curbed the circulation of the opposition party newspaper Harakah and closed down two smaller publications.