Tay on RPK
April 21, 2011
RPK : A Flawed Cyber-Genius?
by Tay Chee Keong
Local political legend Raja Petra Kamaruddin recently made an abrupt clarification that he no longer believed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor were implicated in the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu. His confession triggered heated debate on the eve of the Sarawak state election.
A much cherished hero in the blogosphere has all of a sudden been reduced to a trashed coward. Netizens had been looking up to a heroic figure who was courageous enough to expose all the filth of the ruling coalition hidden from public knowledge. RPK had indeed met all the requirements for such a hero, including a tragic destiny that is more often than not associated with a heroic martyr.
He ran a news website that unveiled many previously unknown political truths. With a vast network of contacts and a wealth of insider information, he exposed many shady stories and released huge numbers of supposedly classified government documents without taking into consideration possible legal consequences that might befall him.
All heroes have a price to pay. RPK was arrested and charged. He insisted not to go on bail and went into a dramatic exile. He continued to voice out through the Internet and even vowed to go on with his struggle at the expense of his son when the latter was arrested.
However, heroes do not always enjoy freedom of expression. A hero is expected to come up with extreme and biased remarks. No one needs the truth anyway; all that they want are emotionally charged one-sided stories and gossips. If a hero utters anything unpleasing to the ears of his audience, he will find himself instantly censured.
All new media practitioners, RPK included, often find themselves stereotyped by the masses. 
While they fiercely champion freedom of speech, they are invariably denied the same by public consensus and market. They can only slam but not exalt the ruling coalition, sympathise with but not hammer the opposition. Their support will languish the moment they go against market demands.
The bullying culture on the Internet has given rise to a trend that subscribes only to a unitary voice. Some bloggers have tried to lure public attention and lift their pageview figures by stoking sensational headlines and stories. They would never tread beyond the baseline to show their support for mainstream political entities for fear of retaliation and abandonment.
That said, RPK is a unique case of its own, as he has long been criticising some of Pakatan’s inappropriate policies and internal conflicts, and has hit out straight at its leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. However, Pakatan supporters continued to support him as his objective was explicit and clear, to bring down the BN at any cost in what is known as the ABU (Anything But UMNO) spirit.
Out of everyone’s expectation, he suddenly changed the course of his struggle shortly before Sarawak went to the polls, launching relentless assaults on Anwar and the Pakatan.What a regret to see a rare hero lose his integrity and worth.
mysinchew.com/www.themalaysianinsider.com
There comes time when fatigue sets in and a lone ranger without the support of his Tontos (sponsors and supporters) and civil society comes to his senses. Today he is being perceived as someone who abandons his cause. I do not know whether this is an apt comment with regard to RPK.
According to his strong supporter and MCLM President Haris Ibrahim, RPK made a tactical shift and his TV3 interview when he was in Perth was just that–a shift in tactics to gain attention. According to journalist Tay, RPK is a rare hero who lost his integrity and worth because he changed his tack.
I had no problem when someone decides to change his political stance and then goes on to deny everything he stood for a life of peace and quiet or whatever his reason maybe. But I find it difficult to accept his betrayal of friends and people like Din Merican, and John Pang whose only mistake was to respond to RPK’s request for verification of a certain identity. It would have been better for them to have asked him to seek confirmation elsewhere. It was perhaps an easy thing for them to do. The least of all, both Din and John Phang wanted to be dragged into a controversy of any sort.
Gobala - April 21, 2011 at 8:45 pm
When Transparency International called for for Malaysian to be more open this is not what they meant. He is so transparent in his actions.
The snake will finaly have to live by eating its own tail.
thumblogic - April 21, 2011 at 9:21 pm
How about the smsexchanges between Najib and lawyer Shafee Abdullah ?? That too not true? There was no record of entry of both A and her much alive cousin that came to Malaysia — that too not true?
http://en.harakah.net.my/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2661:text-of-sms-exchanges-with-lawyer-draws-renewed-interest&catid=34:primary&Itemid=56
Drinthehouse - April 21, 2011 at 9:27 pm
I for one had never taken RPK seriously. He thinks too highly of himself – a megalomaniac.
He sees faults in every single human being except himself.
He has devalued himself.
Sam01 - April 21, 2011 at 9:50 pm
Whatever he is let it be, but he had among others brought the shits out in the open ! Dare anyone ?
Mohamad - April 21, 2011 at 10:20 pm
Mr Bean - April 21, 2011 at 10:24 pm
RPK has irretrievably condemned himself by the volition of his own actions to the dust bin of history — and all we need do now is to acknowledge it. He began with no integrity and ended up with none.
Can we now move on?? Please??
Mr Bean - April 21, 2011 at 10:33 pm
Yup, we should move on.
This narcissistic public speaker had suddenly lost his purpose for being on the rostrum.
And oh, before i forget, a word on the unsavory term “Unholy Trinity”, coined by this hairball. It’s a term never be uttered while sane. Christians always understand the the Trinity, spelled with a capital “T” always refers to the Christian God who is Unity in Three Persons. A better term is to use is “Triad”.
For those who are interested in such things as the Trinity and Allah, from a perspective similar to mine (forget, all the other rubbish written by our home-groan half-wits):
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/april/muslimschristianssamegod.html
C.L. Familiaris - April 21, 2011 at 10:53 pm
Whatever it is, RPK has fallen from grace. And there’s no doubt about it. Just don’t implicate others to justify your actions. Those deep throats who provided him with saucy information are now shivering in their pants for trusting this con artist or Manok gentel (Matsab). I wonder why he is still blogging.
Abbot of Grand Pooba - April 21, 2011 at 10:54 pm
RPK miscalculated the outcome of his TV3 interview and which have been used to his detriment. He’s up against APCO and their spin masters, and RPK is way out of his league.
He’s now trying desperately to do damage control. Every article he writes since that has been a rehatch or one trying to explain his stand.
semper fi - April 21, 2011 at 11:04 pm
The harm has been done. No amount of explaining will of use now. Nasi dah jadi bubur. For someone who has been ridding the wave most of the time, scrapping the bottom is inconceivable.
His damage control doesn’t seem to work. Might as well return home and become an Umno cybertrooper for a change. Ilham needs a partner.
Tok Cik - April 21, 2011 at 11:20 pm
Bean Chai,
Again! RPK reminds me of one & only good JEW in Singapore. God Chosen fellow to be the first Ketua Menteri of Singapura. A man with good intention. The fellow who gave John Nicol lotsa problems. And the commy folks give him lotsa headache……
RPK to me is David Saul Marshall of Malaysia. Too sad he would fade into the history. Aiyaaa……chill out man. Enjoy this song!
looes74 - April 21, 2011 at 11:25 pm
This CK Tay is a silly idiot who does not know what he is writing esp. about THE CHAMELEON RPK
Taking his opening remark
RPK does not believe Najib & Rosmah involvement.. where in the SD did RPK said that he believe Rosmah was there..only stated that 2nd in Army Intelligence said it not him.
Ending remark on RPK
Regret to see a rare hero lose his integrity and worth…what a shallow assessment…the Fat Lady has not sung yet so the PLAY is not over.
In fact have the feeling that RPK is saying to both sides is …”want info or me to stick my neck out ..
pay for it”..and that’s the way it should be.
Hidup Malaysia !!!
fairplay - April 22, 2011 at 12:04 am
I have been reading his articles in MT for 6 months 2 years ago, and all I can surmised of RPK, too full of himself and only fit for shallow mentality species. Nevertheless, he does have way with words.
Sheild37xs - April 22, 2011 at 12:38 am
Raja Petra bin Raja Kamaruddin catapulted himself to stardom when he went where angels feared to tread and weaved a cobweb of half-truths and untruths mostly fabricated, emerging from remote corners and dark recesses of brains long ravaged by the passage of time, unable to differentiate between truth and fiction. He filled the void left by a media forced into submission by a government who thought nothing about public opinion.
I suppose the political opposition needed a dare-devil of sorts to help mobilize public opinion against the UMNO-led government and found fulfillment in an obscure political activist in the heydays of the Reformasi Movement by the name of Raja Petra bin Raja Kamaruddin. His foolhardiness is his signature trademark.
It is only fitting that his descent into political obscurity is ignited by sparks he himself engineered.
Mr Bean - April 22, 2011 at 4:36 am
Sheild37xs,
I agree with you. I have always think that he’s so full of himself. He writes those sensationalized stories and now he wants to drag other people down with him. He wrote them so he should be accountable. I hate it that there are so many people in his blog that went overboard to “bodek” him.
didi - April 22, 2011 at 4:37 am
” A hero is expected to come up with extreme and biased remarks “. – from article above.
Is this true? This writer must be nuts himself . Hero or not RPK must be responsible and take responsibility for what he writes or orally utters.
How do we expect responsible behaviour from the IGP or the Attorney General , if we are not going to be responsible for our own deeds ?
abu nawas - April 22, 2011 at 4:44 am
Bean chai,
Just like the only Singapore Jew chief minister, David Saul Marshall
looes74 - April 22, 2011 at 10:20 am
It was good while it lasted. I guess the good life in a foreign must have soften him. He betrayed the people who believed in him. But they say in politics, your friends can be your enemies tomorrow.
TuaiRumah - April 22, 2011 at 12:53 pm
Proverb:
“Credibility takes years to build but can evaporate in an instant.”
Phua Kai Lit - April 22, 2011 at 1:02 pm
Poor RPK, a hero and an inspiration for so long, but sold his soul to Mamak Octo/ Sanusi Junid, for reasons he himself knows best. Good luck all the same RPK and keep MT open for open debate for the benefit of all Malaysians.
ken - April 22, 2011 at 2:48 pm
Guys,
Come on lah! everybody is human. To err is humane. I don’t believe RPK has sold himself to the devil. However as naive & impeteous as David Marshall, that I agree
Again enjoy the song man
looes74 - April 22, 2011 at 7:21 pm
Looes, i think Prof. Marshall McLuhan (deceased) is more appropriate for your thesis. He’s the guy who coined the phrase “The Media is the Message” and “The Global Village” in the ’60s.
He didn’t coin the word “Global Idiot”, i did.
C.L. Familiaris - April 22, 2011 at 8:20 pm
CLF,
Worst still, RPK wants us to go back to study. Perhaps, RPK should watch this…….
looes74 - April 22, 2011 at 11:43 pm
RPK says TV3 chopped his interview. Too bad they miss his tongue. Even if Umno did not buy the man over, it has succeeded in neutralising him.
A wild, untrustworthy and discredited RPK is of no use to Pakatan Rakyat. His MCLM (Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement) is a non-starter with such a character at the helm.
It is good for this episode to come out into the open before the run-up to the general election. It’s an old trick of the devil – if you can’t convince the people, confuse them.
RPK has shown himself to be an irresponsible and unreliable person. He makes wild allegations which he himself does not believe – and says he is merely reporting what he heard. Then, he accuses Anwar Ibrahim as the man behind his SD.
The unkindest cut of all, he gives away the names of his informants exposing them to prosecution. A person with nobility will not betray his friend and his sources in the first place.
cannon - April 29, 2011 at 12:32 am