KUALA TERENGGANU, Sat. - Rumour-mongering, spamming, mailbombing and other abuses of the Internet will be thrown into the "virtual bin" once the Code of Ethics for Internet users is introduced by the end of the year.

The code, a list of dos and don'ts for proper Internet use, is now being drawn up by the Communications and Multimedia Commission.

Although not legally binding, the guidelines are aimed at providing Internet users with a clear idea as to the boundaries between responsible and unacceptable behaviour.

Deputy Energy, Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Chan Kong Choy, in announcing the code today, said it had become necessary to guide Malaysians to behave properly on the Internet.

"Surprisingly, many are still ignorant or lack understanding on this matter and the most common abuse by many Internet users is to disseminate malicious lies and rumours to the public," he said.

Malaysia now has about 500,000 Internet users and the number is expected to rise to one million by the end of the year 2000.

In addition, Chan said, the code of ethics would be an important instrument to generate a society of Internet users with a strong sense of responsibility.

Chan said this to reporters at the Sultan Mahmud Airport.

On what would happen to those who violated the code, he said it was only a guideline for them to use the Internet properly.

"Action will only be taken against them if a police report has been lodged. The offenders can be charged either under the cyberlaws or the Penal Code," he said, adding that no one had been charged under the cyberlaws so far. Chan denied that the move would imply a form of censorship on the users.

"They can access any information available in the Internet freely, but they must not abuse this freedom," he stressed.

The Communications and Multimedia Commission will organise a few forums this month to discuss things which would be included in the code of ethics.

"These forums will be a platform for those in the communications and IT industries to meet and discuss matters related to the issue."

The commission is the regulatory authority for the converging industries of telecommunications, broadcasting and computing.

He said the people would be informed about the code through the Internet itself, media and talks organised in schools.

The New Straits Times has reported efforts have to be made to cultivate a culture of responsibility and courtesy along with the concerted push for Malaysians to embrace IT. The issue was highlighted in the wake of the recent banning of Malaysians on international chat sites because of abusive behaviour.

The Sunday Mail reported in March that users registered with Malaysian Internet Service Providers had been blocked from accessing chat sites run by US-based DALnet, for abusing its chat site facilities.

The report quoted a DALnet administrator as saying that Malaysia's ISP was also responsible for almost half of its spam (junk postings) received daily.

Mimos Bhd vice-president (government sector) Dr Mohamed Awang Lah said he had also received complaints about mailbombing (sending multiple copies of e-mail to the same recipient), IRC flooding (opening more than one channel for IRC chatting) and mail forgery (sending e-mail while pretending to be another - possibly non-existent - person).

A bank officer was among four people charged under the Penal Code with spreading rumours through the Internet on Aug 3 last year.

Resulting from these incidents, the Malaysian Youth Council has devised its own code of ethics to encourage self-regulatory measures for cybercafe operators and Internet users to prevent abuse of the service.