News

DATE=8/12/98 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-236938 TITLE=MALAYSIA/ INTERNET (L-ONLY) BYLINE=LIM SHU LING DATELINE=KUALA LUMPUR CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: MALAYSIAN POLICE HAVE BEGUN ARRESTING PEOPLE SUSPECTED OF SPREADING RUMORS OF UNREST IN THE COUNTRY OVER THE INTERNET. LIM SHU LING REPORTS FROM KUALA LUMPUR THAT THE RUMORS HAD A DETRIMENTAL EFFECT ON AN ALREADY TROUBLED ECONOMY. TEXT: AUTHORITIES HAVE MOVED SWIFTLY TO DETAIN TWO PEOPLE UNDER THE INTERNAL SECURITY ACT FOR ALLEGEDLY CIRCULATING RUMORS OF IMPENDING VIOLENCE IN MALAYSIA OVER THE INTERNET. RUMOURS OF RIOTING IN KUALA LUMPUR BY INDONESIAN WORKERS SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY LAST FRIDAY, CAUSING CITY RESIDENTS TO PANIC AND THRONG TO SHOPS TO STOCK UP ON ESSENTIAL ITEMS. THE RUMORS CAME AHEAD OF AN AUGUST 15TH DEADLINE FOR THE RENEWAL OF WORK PERMITS FOR INDONESIAN WORKERS. MORE THAN 200-THOUSAND INDONESIANS WILL HAVE TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY BECAUSE THEIR WORK PERMITS WILL NOT BE RENEWED. MALAYSIA HAS ALREADY DEPORTED THOUSANDS OF INDONESIAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN IN THE COUNTRY. PRIME MINISTER MAHATHIR MOHAMMAD HAS LABELED THE RUMOR-MONGERS AS TRAITORS. HE SAID THE INCIDENT HAD WEAKENED EFFORTS TO REVIVE THE TROUBLED ECONOMY AND INSTILL CONFIDENCE IN THE NATION. FOLLOWING THE RUMORS, THE STOCK MARKET AND THE MALAYSIAN CURRENCY REGISTERED SHARP DECLINES. THE TWO SUSPECTS WILL BE DETAINED INITIALLY FOR A 60-DAY PERIOD. UNDER THE INTERNAL SECURITY ACT, PEOPLE DEEMED TO BE A RISK TO NATIONAL SECURITY CAN BE DETAINED WITHOUT TRIAL FOR UP TO TWO YEARS. POLICE HAVE WARNED THERE WILL BE MORE ARRESTS SOON. THE AUTHORITIES ARE TRACKING DOWN SUSPECTS WITH THE HELP OF INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS AND COMPUTER EXPERTS. THEY ADDED THAT THE RUMORS HAD NOT ORIGINATED FROM OUTSIDE MALAYSIA. THE POLICE SAID THE SITUATION IN KUALA LUMPUR IS NOW CALM AND IT APPEARS NO MORE RUMORS ARE BEING SPREAD VIA THE INTERNET. (SIGNED) NEB/LSL/GC/PLM 12-Aug-98 3:34 AM EDT (0734 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .