Petra had been imprisoned under the the Internal Security Act, which allows the government to detain anyone for up to two years without charges.



The government imprisoned Petra because of statements made on his blog, Malaysia Today.

Malaysia Today (m2day.org) publishes many articles which are critical of the Malaysian government and it's heavy-handed imposition of the official state religion.

Mr. Petra is being charged with sedition in a separate case. In that case he is accused of implying that a government official was involved in a woman's murder. In addition, Petra can be imprisoned again under the Internal Security Act at any time.

This ruling marks an important advance for freedom of speech in Malaysia and a huge setback for totalitarianism.

In the United States, the campaign of president elect Barack Obama has been criticized for threatening members of the American public with criminal prosecution for making negative statements regarding the president elect. These prosecutions are being led by St. Louis County Circuit Attorney Bob McCulloch and City Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce, but are national in scope. A woman in Kansas speaking to her mother in the privacy of their own home could be charged criminally for making a statement which the Obama campaign felt was incorrect.

Freedom of speech has gained ground in Malaysia and lost ground in the United States. Only by using the freedom of speech which we still possess can we prevent further losses to our already endangered freedoms.