Posted by: dinobeano | May 7, 2008

Charter 2000-Aliran’s Statement: Sedition charge on blogger Raja Petra raises more questions


 PDF Print E-mail
May 6, 2008

Charter 2000-Aliran is appalled by the Malaysian authorities’ action in charging prominent blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin with sedition for allegedly implying that deputy prime minister Najib Razak was involved in the sensational killing of a young Mongolian woman.

The sedition charge stems from a 25 April article, titled “Let’s Send the Altantuya Murderers to Hell”, that Raja Petra posted on his popular Malaysia Today website.

We, like many other concerned Malaysians, are shocked that such a sedition charged has been used against Raja Petra as opposed to a more appropriate action that could have been taken by the aggrieved party (i.e. Najib and wife), which is to sue Raja Petra for supposed defamation. Raja Petra now sits in remand in Sungai Buloh Prison after refusing bail, and he will remain there until 6 October, when his trial begins. If found guilty, he could be jailed for up to three years and/or face a fine of up to RM5,000.

Under the Sedition Act, a “seditious tendency” implies, among other things, “a tendency to bring into hatred or contempt or to excite disaffection against any Ruler or against any Government”. Are we to conclude that alleging complicity in a murder case on the part of a government leader is tantamount to causing the Malaysian public to go against the entire (federal) government? Would one supposedly rotten apple spoil the whole tree?

The authorities’ action only raises more questions. It raises suspicion that it is meant not only to politically bludgeon Raja Petra but also to make an example of him for the rest of the blogging fraternity and civil society.

Many Malaysians are clearly not impressed with the latest turn of events. In a sense, it reveals just how out of touch the authorities are with the new political realities after 8 March especially in dealing with an electorate that now demands greater respect for freedom of the media and of expression.

Dr Mustafa K Anuar & Anil Netto

Coordinators

Charter 2000-Aliran

Posted in Media

« Bloggers: Sedition Charge politically motivated
Mahathir warns crossovers to Pakatan possible »

Responses

Fighting the Government is almost impossible to win these days,unless using international pressure. I think that is not actually patriotic,but in this this case,I dont want anyone to die in prison for nothing. A lot of people died in prison in malaysia since 1900s,more than enough to build a batallion.
_______
akmal, what is patriotism? Simply, it is said to be “love of one’s country”. A country is made up of people like you and I including the politicians who we elect and place in positions of trust. Government is not country; it is an institution we create to administer our country and serve us. When Government does not serve people, then people have a right to replace it. Kalau kerajaan zalim dan korup, kita berhak menukarnya.

Government in a democracy is by the people, for the people and of the people. Do not be confused. Otherwise, you will be carried away with the idea of “Ketuanan Melayu”. It is Ketuanan Rakyat. Government should not be translated into Ke-raja-an.

We all must die. We do not choose the place to die. I am happy to die for my country, but never for some stupid or corrupt politician. Being critical of a government does not make one unpatriotic. So Raja Petra is not unpatriotic, but he is a loyal Malaysian.—Din Merican

By: akmal818196 on May 7, 2008
at 8:26 am

Can the lawyers please enlightened me on this _ by charging RPK with sedition, does it mean that the police and the judiciary taking Najib Razak to be the whole country/government?
__________
jocky, there is no need to ask a lawyer. Read the article written by Raja Petra and form your own conclusion about its contents. Most lawyers will tell you that there is nothing seditious in it. Listen to what Haris Ibrahim has to say about the Sedition Act (watch the youtube video I posted on this blog).

Common sense will tell us that this arrest and incarceration of Raja Petra is an act of political intimidation and blatant abuse of power. —Din Merican

By: novice101 on May 7, 2008
at 9:48 am

Are the HOme Ministry/Police/the Judiciary equating Najid Razak, the person, to be the country/government? If, so, what a bumkum!

By: novice101 on May 7, 2008
at 10:30 am

Why should be equted to be the whole nation. He is only one person, why was the case one of sedition and not of slander and defamation?

By: novice101 on May 7, 2008
at 10:49 am

Blatant Abuse of Power! Let’s get him when Pakatan Rakyat takes over Federal Govt.
______

Jong, you can become Attorny-General for Pakatan Rakyat, then.—-Din Merican 8)

By: Jong on May 7, 2008
at 11:41 am

I think Mr and Mrs C4 better start packing and start transferring their loot out of the country!

By: Jong on May 7, 2008
at 11:43 am

Watch this movie guyd - V for Vendetta. We are currently exactly in this state!!!

By: Anon on May 7, 2008
at 12:31 pm

Too see a true and loyal Malaysian like Raja Petra being taken away by the police is beyond sad. It is just not right.
I just got back from Pg and most of the people I met there are pissed off.

The world is watching …

By: Free Malaysia on May 7, 2008
at 2:55 pm

Din, I would like to reproduce an open letter to RPK, written by my father’s classmate in Penang Free School, Mr Kee Thuan Chye, as follows:

Dear Raja Petra,

You must not languish in custody. We have to get you out on bail.

If on ground of principle, you do not wish to pay it, I will pay it.

It’s extremely important that you come back to us to continue your courageous acts. I have been telling my children that if there is a Malaysian role-model we can look to, it is none of the BN goons, certainly not the Prime Minister and his cohorts, absolutely not the so-called spaceman, nor the sailor who fell from grace with the sea and yet got celebrated.

The real Malaysian role-model is you, sir. For courage, for standing up for what you believe in, for defying oppression, for exposing the truth despite the odds.

This is a time for heroes. And we need our heroes to be free, to fight, to stand up for us all. Not spend time in prison. We need the truth to be made known. We need the truth to set our beloved country free.

We need you to be free.

Sincerely,

Kee Thuan Chye
_________________
Dear Mr Kee, thanks for your concern and goodwill. —Din Merican

By: Chin Merican on May 7, 2008
at 3:29 pm

Citizen Nades - By R. Nadeswaran
The Sun
7th April 2008

EVER WONDERED why the police force is unable to close files and solve crimes? Do you know why witnesses to crimes do not want to come forward? Why do witnesses suddenly have memory lapses and declare: “I did not see anything.” I got the answers yesterday. Two police officers from the Commercial Crime Division of Bukit Aman gave an insight into how investigations are carried out and I can tell you with a clear conscience that it was an exercise in futility because their line of questioning would have insulted the intelligence of any right-thinking person.

Assistant Superintendents Wan Zainal Wan Mat and Albany Hamzah turned up at the office and said that they needed to record my statement in relation to police investigations into the transfer of funds from Balkis. To say that they came ill-prepared would be an understatement. To say that they never read any of the reports in theSun or any other newspaper would be the bitter truth. They are supposed to be investigating the transfer of RM9.9 million, and yet had no clue as to how to go about doing the job. This is because they came with pre-conceived notions and pre-prepared questions, perhaps drafted by their superiors, in the hope that this writer would shoot himself in the foot by implicating himself.

After the caution was administered under the Criminal Procedure Code and the usual questions on my qualifications and my career, it was crystal clear they wanted me to reveal my sources and wanted documents in my possession. Not that I had run foul of the Official Secrets Act because none of the documents cited were classified, but they came on a fishing expedition to get me to expose my hand and to find out what is going to be published in the future. They expected me to sing like a canary!

Terence Fernandez and I looked at each other in despair when asked: Merujuk kepada petikan yang terdapat dalam artikel berkaitan dengan memetik kenyataan Yeo Yang Poh (former president of the Bar Council), dari manakah sumber petikan berkenaan diperolehi? (Your article had a quote from former Bar Council president Yeo Yang Poh. What is the source of the quote?) If only the two officers had cared to read the first paragraph of my report which was in front of their eyes they would have known where it came from – the Malaysian Bar website. But no, they had read nothing. What has Yeo’s comments got to do with their investigations?

They wanted to know if “I was instructed to write” and wanted to know if I had read the constitution of Balkis. If they had read all the reports on Balkis, they would have known that I quoted its constitution extensively. But no, they just cast the line hoping for a bite. The next question: Adakah kamu ada menyimpan perlembagaan Balkis. (Are you keeping a copy of the constitution) Did they expect a “Yes” from me? Even if I had it, does it make it an offence unless of course they thought they are putting the fright into me?

Are you in possession of a letter from the Registrar of Societies dated April 14 addressed to the mentri besar? Well, that’s not a classified document and even if I had it, would they have expected me to say: “Yes, I have it.”? They showed their hands too early and they thought they trumped me by asking: “You write that “according to documents sighted by theSun”, can you tell me what the documents are. My curt reply: “I cannot tell you because it is unethical for journalists to reveal what (documents) they saw or read.”

By which time, they had no more cards to play. They threw in the sai-lang card: “Dimanakah kamu dapat dokumen-dokumen berkenaan?” (Where did you get the documents from?”) Was this an investigation into Balkis or a probe to trace the source of my documents?

When they asked the final question, I blew my top because it not only became harassment but also bordered on stupidity. I was asked: Adakah kamu tahu siapa hakim bertindak sebagai penasihat undang-undang kepada Bakti sebagaimana yang dinyatakan oleh akhbar theSun? (Do you know the identity of the judge who acted as the legal adviser of Balkis?)

I asked the relevance of such a question. The answer was: ‘When the case goes to court, we need to answer all these questions”.

Don’t they read the newspapers? Didn’t theSun name the judge after which the Bar Council and the former UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers commented on it? My answer: “This was previously reported in theSun. Please refer to the papers.”

Share on Facebook

By: Anon on May 7, 2008
at 3:42 pm

RPK shall prevail..!

By: JyhMin on May 7, 2008
at 3:56 pm

DIN

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll267/MagicGate1/najib2.jpg?t=1210209028

Who Is SEDITIOUS???

By: CT Ong on May 8, 2008
at 1:25 am

Looks like they are trying to build a case to get Citizen Nades, next to be slapped with “sedtition” charge. Just watch.

Spoilt losers of GE-12, UMNO/BN have still not learnt anything yet from the results and like battered animals they’re all out to get those who spoke up to expose their blatant abuse of power, corruption and judiciary rot, resulting in their dismal performance! :)

Still unable to come to terms with the rakyat’s decision and rejection of their 50 years of politics of fear, suppression and dependency on NEP, is to remain ‘terminally ill’ forever at the hands of Umno. The rakyat have woke up but they have not, that’s the sad part.

Jong, hebat sekali komentar anda.—-Din Merican

By: Jong on May 8, 2008
at 2:08 am

intangai iti huguan lajim, suang nioh de podou wagu, meterub nioh podou laid noh. e

______
Please help us. What are you trying to day, ulun bisaya? —-Din Merican

By: ulun bisaya on May 9, 2008
at 5:01 am

Leave a response






Your response:

Categories