KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has formed a taskforce to scour the internet for blog postings deemed harmful to national unity, in the latest action against new media.

The Home Ministry's deputy secretary-general for security, Abdul Rahim Mohamad Radzi, said the unit would involve the police, internet regulators, the Information Ministry and the Attorney-General's chambers.

''It is a mechanism that will co-ordinate these various agencies to help monitor what is being said in cyberspace and to take action against those that are trying to stoke racial tensions.''

Mr Abdul Rahim said the group would also monitor alternative and mainstream media. ''There is a disturbing trend appearing on the internet where some people are inciting racial unrest and causing confusion and this will damage the peace we have in the country.'' He cited a Facebook page that insulted Muslim Malays.

Police are also investigating the ethnic Chinese rapper Wee Meng Chee for sedition, after he posted a rap on YouTube criticising a Malay headmistress accused of making racial slurs against minority students.

Agence France-Presse