In recent months, the Malaysian government's rhetoric on punishing "irresponsible" bloggers is being translated into reality. Websites and blogs have been targeted one after another, and on the flimsiest pretext. The axe seems to fall on a particular group of bloggers and online writers who demonstrate due precautions, including identifying themselves, moderating their postings and checking their facts. Their predicament challenges the government claims that these writers disseminate lies and rumors and call into question the government's real motive.

All of these blogs and websites share a common thread in writing about corruption and misuse of power by the government top leaders, for which Malaysiakini.com and blogger Nathaniel Tan say is the explicit reason why they have been targeted. An expose in Raja Petra Kamaruddin's blog Malaysia Today for example has been catalytic in getting the Inspector General, Musa Hassan to be investigated by the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA), while Malaysiakini.com's follow up story on the Sarawak "timber kickback" has forced the Sarawak state chief minister to respond. The collective effect of these online content is that they highlighted the government's poor performance in its promised fight against corruption, a promise which secured a landslide victory for the Barisan Nasional Coalition in 2004. In March, the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC) noted that the foreign investor's perception on corruption in the country had worsened, and adding salt to the injury is the outbreak of a few scandals, such as the blow to the ACA's credibility when its director-general, Zulkipli Mat Noor was implicated for corruption by a former colleague, and the acquittal of Eric Chia, the former technocrat for national steel corporation Perwaja from the charges of misappropriating more than RM70million (USD20million) in fund.

The threats and intimidation of bloggers have been ongoing, but the latest warning against bloggers reported on 25 July is the strongest to date. The de-facto Law Minister, Nazri Aziz threatened to use the Internal Security Act (ISA) which means detention without trial against bloggers, in addition to the Sedition Act.