The Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) has called on the police to drop its investigation against blogger Jeff Ooi.

In a statement yesterday, CIJ described Ooi's two-hour interrogation on Monday at the hands of the police as a 'clear harassment' and an attempt to curb freedom of expression on the Internet.

"In accordance with making Malaysia a major global centre and hub for communication and multimedia information and content services, the government has to institute fuller legal protection for freedom of expression on the Internet," it said.

Ooi is being investigated over an allegedly seditious comment posted by a reader using the pseudonym 'Anwar' on his weblog, Screenshots.

Controversial posting

The comment was in relation to Islam Hadhari, equating it and money politics to faeces and urine.

The reader claimed it was contradictory for Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to promote Islam Hadhari while money politics took centrestage during the Umno elections last September.

Ooi claimed the investigation was prompted by a police report filed by the police themselves on Feb 24. He was called up under Section 298A of the Penal Code, relating to acts of 'religious disunity.'

Selangor CID chief Hadi Ho Abdullah confirmed that police had recorded a statement from the blogger.

Last year, Ooi was threatened with detention under the Internal Security Act, which allows detention without trial for up to two years, and with prosecution under the Sedition Act. He has been told that these investigations are still continuing.