Raja Petra to be charged for sedition

Posted on May 5, 2008
Filed Under Blogging News, Freedom of Expression, Freedom of the Press |

Raja Petra Kamaruddin, the webmaster of news portal Malaysia Today, will be charged tomorrow for sedition at the Magistrates’ Court in the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex in Jalan Duta.

“I have been ordered to surrender at the Jalan Duta Magistrates Court at 9.30am … to be charged for sedition,” he said late this evening.

When contacted at 11.10pm, he told Malaysiakini that he would be going to court tomorrow.

According to Raja Petra, he received a call from the police’s Cybercrime Unit DSP Victor Sanjos to be present in court.

Full Malaysiakini story here.

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines “sedition” as incitement of resistance to or insurrection against lawful authority.

As a rational person, I don’t see how Raja Petra’s internet posting constitutes an act of sedition! If anything, the politicians and characters insinuated by Raja Petra to have been involved in the brutal murder of Altantuya, may have some basis to sue Raja Petra for defamation, if they can prove their case.

Politicians are public figures and as such scrutiny, rumours and gossip are part and parcel of being such public figures. It speaks volumes to the way things are run in Malaysia if a private citizen writing his opinions regarding a certain legal case involving politicians can summarily be charged for sedition. It shows the acts of desperation of the political figures of the country. It shows how highly they think of themselves that any call to bring them to justice is akin to acts of sedition! It also shows how easily the police is being used by the high and mighty to protect themselves and to intimidate the person who dared bring attention to their misdeeds.

No rational person will constitute Raja Petra’s call to “Let’s send the Altantuya murderers to hell” as a call to insurrection against the established authority!

It is obvious to me, the police and the hands behind the police’s actions, are trying to intimidate Raja Petra and to make an example out of him to whoever else dares to insinuate and link any politician/public figures to scandal.

If this charge of sedition against Raja Petra goes ahead, I guess nobody should expect any relaxation of the laws controlling the media is going to happen any time soon.

What a shameful and disgraceful state of affairs!

Sphere: Related Content

Comments

One Response to “Raja Petra to be charged for sedition”

  1. max on May 5th, 2008 9:35 pm

    Remember……UMNO…..pantang dicabar!!

    [reply this comment]

Leave a Reply




ss_blog_claim=1f23ed337eb47d3b7efe10d79a6b8238