Malayisan news site under fire from attorney general for joke

Via the New Straits Times: As many Web sites had their share of fun with April Fool's jokes, one site took it too far - and earned the wrath of the Malaysian attorney general. Malaysiakini, an online news site, ran an article Apr. 1, reporting that four top politicians were going to be charged with corruption and that arrest warrants were to be handed out soon. The article resulted in numerous calls to various parties seeking verification on the claims. The news also spread via the short-messaging service. A second article that appeared shortly after the first one did little to diffuse the situation. "The objective of the prank was to stir debate on the issue of corruption and to remind the Government that no action has been taken on the 18," Malaysiakini Editor-In-Chief Steven Gan said. Even as several people dismissed it as a tasteless joke, the attorney general, Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, said serious action would be taken.