This month will surely not be the ever popular merry month of May, but it is a month that will be remembered nevertheless.
Just a week into May, following World Press Freedom Day, we witness the first blogger, Raja Petra Kamarudin (RPK), to be charged under the Sedition Act, after he allegedly posted a 'seditious' article titled "Let’s send the Altantutya murderers to hell" on his website Malaysia Today. The article implicated Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor in the 2006 murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu.
This and all other information are certainly available in the Mainstream Media or the Alternative Media. Therefore, I would not waste my time narrating each sequence of the events but would only offer you my critical take on it. By saying critical I mean the-one-who-does-not-take-the-government-seriously kind of take.
Before we go any further, it would be crucial for us to get to know the accused a little more. He started writing since his blog started its operation in August 2004. His writing style is often very witty, humorous and straight to the point. In addition, in his most recent post he admitted that if his articles were to be scrutinised, most article could fall under the government's category of seditious.
Hence, arise the question of why now? After almost four years of operation and god knows how many articles posted, why does this particular article that brought Raja Petra to court under the charge of sedition instead of the ones before. Why only after the Barisan Nasional suffer it's biggest defeat in history do the authorities launch their crackdown on 'seditious' bloggers.
Consequently, this merely strengthens my conviction that this entire saga is orchestrated by the powers that be to intimidate free speaking individuals and serve as a lesson to others that fall in the same league. I have to agree 100% with Lim Kit Siang's (DAP) take on this event.
"They (Najib and Rosmah) reserve the right to clear their names through the laws. So why have they used the government facilities to take action against Raja Petra Kamaruddin? This is the abuse of powers. There are other channels for the deputy prime minister and his family to take action against Raja Petra - to use civil action and litigation," he said.
Yes, this is a blatant abuse of powers and if anyone says otherwise, it's time for you to get your eyes, ears and everything checked. On the other hand, this is a perfect time to test the two most important institutions with regards to justice; the Judiciary and the police institution. Are they really independent as professed by the government time and again?
Officially keeping the score, I have to say that the police has been compromised, based on the whole "I take orders from above" incident of course. The Judiciary has yet to be evaluated and I'll be waiting eagerly for the moment to come in October. As for the implications and motives for this saga, I would say that there is more to it than meets the eye.
From the government's point of view, if we take on this maverick, we will make him pay for making us look like losers in the eyes of the people. If he goes down, Malaysia Today will go down with him(how wrong were they). An added bonus, bloggers will be more careful (read: scared) in posting comments critical to the establishment. Finally we will have order.
From RPK's point of view, this the most appropriate time to engage the government and bring down the scumbags in them. It is an opportunity to direct the public and government's back towards the dragging and bound to be forgotten Altantuya murder trial. Additionally, attracting local and foreign media attention towards atrocities done by the establishment.
As we can see, both sides have their own plans but as always man proposes God disposes. For now let us be patient and let fate take its own due course, the truth shall unravel inevitably. Either this will be a beginning of another form of Operation Lalang or the significant beginning of a war against the unjust.-NHF
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3 comments:
he's agreed to post bail.
MIGHT be out tomorrow.
nope...this aint the 1st time he crosses with the govt. He was detained by the ISA among other 10 ppl in april 2001 during Tun Dr Mahathir's era.
He was also summoned by the police in July 2007 due to reports on his blogs which is inflammatory by insulting islam & even the Yang-DiPertuan Agong.
Blogging is similar to freedom of speech... but freedom comes with a price...which is "responsibility". Tolerance was given to him but what he writes influences th public opinion, therefore in simple malay..."agak-agaklah cara penulisan tu". He went too far.
Wanna know my POV? then feel free to view it here: http://kry-asmat.blogspot.com/
yes.. this is not the first time he crosses the government but this is the first time he got charged for it. My question here is why only now do we see the authorities act, after he posted an article regarding Najib.
With all due respect, regarding the summon in July 2007
due to reports on his blogs which is inflammatory by insulting islam & even the Yang-DiPertuan Agong, if you really read the particular article, there is not a word that insults Islam nor the YDP Agong.
In fact after further clarifications the police officer told RPK himself that they he was summoned not for his writings but for the comments on the posts. As bloggers ourselves, you and I know that thiese comments are from readers and not writers.
The police report against this article was also questionable as it was made by someone who doesn't know English, if i were to quote from RPK himself, jokingly.
As for freedom comes with a price...which is "responsibility", I have to agree with that. RPK has to be responsible and accountable for his writings. Nevertheless, as the 'victim' here Najib can resort to legal alternatives to defend himself (sue, defamation, libel suit ,etc.) rather than using the vague and repressive sedition act. With these few details, we could interpret this action as an abuse of power from the part of the government.
My stand here is every individual shoulde be treated the same. Either they are from the government or the opposition. Why didn't the Sedition act apply to Datuk Abdul Khalid @ Khalid Jafri Bakar Shah who wrote the book 50 Dalil Mengapa Anwar Tidak Boleh Jadi PM (50 Reasons Why Anwar Cannot Become PM). Instead, Anwar needed to file a suit like everyone else.
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