BLOGGER ARRESTED FOR POSTING ALLEGEDLY RACIST COMMENTS ON

INTERNET

http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,165378,00.html?

He says now:

I'm shocked that people read my blog

He claims he wrote only for friends, but says he will apologise online

By Liew Hanqing

May 22, 2008

AN online rant about a stranger on an MRT train has turned ugly for a local blogger.

The police have arrested the 24-year-old for a post he allegedly wrote on his blog that contained offensive comments targeted at a racial group.

A police statement issued late last night said the Chinese man was arrested at his Paya Lebar Way home around 9.45pm for posting contents in his blog which may wound the feelings of a person of another race.

A computer, believed to be used to post the suspect's blog, was seized for investigations, which are ongoing.

The police had received two reports on Monday complaining of the alleged post.

IRKED BY MRT RIDER

The post was apparently sparked off by the suspect seeing a man of another race sitting on the floor of an MRT train.

'There he sat, unaffected by his surroundings, smelling like he didn't showered (sic) in years and wore some really scary dirty clothes,' he wrote.

He went on to make allegedly offensive comments about that racial group in his tirade.

His post has drawn flak from local netizens, who labelled him a racist.

Though I don’t like or encourage racism the authorities seemed to have over reacted this time round. Such senseless rants are a dime a dozen in the internet. If they were to arrest all of them then very soon more prisons will have to be built!

Or does the arrest serve a bigger purpose? Like instilling fear in the cyberspace?

Anyway, I hope the 24-year-old will be released after a reprimand. Charging him in court will be equivalent to shooting missile at mosquito!