RPK charged with sedition, refused to post bail
Raja Petra Kamaruddin (RPK), a prominent blogger at Malaysia Today has been charged with sedition today at the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court over an article which he wrote in his website. He has also refused to post a bail of RM5000, choosing instead to remain in custody until the hearing date fixed from Oct 6 to 10.
Malaysia Today news portal webmaster Raja Petra Kamaruddin was today charged with sedition at the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court over an article which he wrote in his website.
The article allegedly implied that Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his wife were involved in the killing of a young Mongolian woman.
Raja Petra claimed trial to the charge. He was charged under Section 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act for publishing seditious article on April 25 on Malaysia Today.
Hearing has been fixed from Oct 6 to 10 and Raja Petra was granted a bail of RM5,000, which he refused to post, deciding instead to remain in custody until the hearing date.
If found guilty, Raja Petra could be jailed for a maximum of three years and/or face a fine of up to RM5,000.
The chargesheet also highlighted nine paragraphs of the article which was titled “Let’s send the Altantuya murderers to hell” as seditious.
Source: Malaysiakini
It’s going to be quite a long wait in jail for RPK but this is one man who stands firm in his belief. Now, if you remember in the case of Anwar Ibrahim, RPK was one of the main figures that had fought tirelessly for the release of Anwar Ibrahim after he was sacked as the Deputy Prime Minister by Mahathir, and subsequently jailed after he was found guilty on what he claimed to be trumped up charges against him.
Will Anwar Ibrahim reciprocate this time to free RPK from jail? No doubt he will…. but how and to what extent remains to be seen. In the mean, Din Merican (one of Anwar’s close aide) had already started a Save Raja Petra Campaign in his blog.
By this time, there is also a campaign to raise fund for RPK launched at Malaysia-Today.
Photo credit: Din Merican
1 Comment
What constitutes sedition or a seditious act? PRK’s article is a test case. It looks like a case of political intimidation. Someone up there in Putrajaya is getting nervous. What does that mean?
Please support RPK by contributing RM1.00 to his legal defence fund, not just for the bail. This matter has become an issue of the “People versus the Government of Abdullah Badawi, of freedom and justice, and if we care, as many claim they do, come out in open support for my friend, RPK.
Don’t sit back and remain indifferent.—Din Merican