Malaysia Today webmaster, Raja Petra questioned for 8hrs

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Today owner Raja Petra Kamarudin spent eight hours at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters having his statement recorded over a police report lodged by Umno.
The Umno police report concerning articles and comments posted on his website alleged that Raja Petra had insulted the Yang diPertuan Agong and Islam.
“I was interrogated as a witness and questioned under Section 112 of the Criminal Procedure Code,” Raja Petra, 57, told a press conference after his statement was recorded on Wednesday.
Raja Petra arrived at the Dang Wangi police station at 11am accompanied by his wife Marina Lee Abdullah, 50, and several family members and friends.
Dang Wangi OCPD Asst Comm Zulkarnain Abdul Rahman spoke briefly with Raja Petra before the webmaster was brought to the CID office at 12.15pm.
Zulkarnain confirmed that Raja Petra was called in to record a statement under the Sedition Act. He declined to comment further.
In the police report lodged on Monday, Umno information chief Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib claimed the comments and remarks published on the website on July 11 had insulted the King, degraded Islam and could incite hatred and violence in Malaysia’s multi-racial society.

Umno Youth Hails Action Against Errant Bloggers

KUALA LUMPUR, July 25 (Bernama) -- The Umno Youth movement said it fully supports the government's move to act against webmasters and bloggers who flouted the law and belittled the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
Its Economic Bureau chief Datuk Reezal Merican Naina Merican said although they were free to voice their opinions, they should do so responsibly.
"Those found guilty of insulting the king must be brought to justice," he said in a statement here today.
Reezal Merican, who is also Federation of Peninsular Malay Students Association president, said nowadays bloggers were abusing freedom of speech to the extent that they dared to insult the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and disseminate slander and lies against the administration, the prime minister and his deputy.
Concerned about errant bloggers, he said, the movement lodged a report with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission on July 10.
Meanwhile, Umno Youth Public Complaints Bureau chief Datuk Subahan Kamal described groups who write on sensitive issues which include insulting the king and Islam as irresponsible and having little respect for the dignity of the people or the country.
"They should not only be severely punished under the Internal Security Act but also jailed for life for failing to count their blessings, having been able to live in an independent country which enjoys racial harmony all these years," he said.
"Bloggers should not let personal interests, emotions and personal grudges mar the progress and unity which have existed for the past 50 years," he said.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak yesterday said that webmasters and web journalists were not exempted from the law and the government would not let any party disturb the nation's harmony and cause unease among the community.
On Monday, Umno information chief Senator Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib lodged a police report against blogsite Malaysia Today for carrying articles deemed to have insulted the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

tunku : raja petra case is very clear, he did not insult islam or the agong but the commentators are the one who insults islam and the agong but as a blog owner it's raja petra's responsibility to moderate all the comments posted in his website.i agree with subahan kamal that groups who write on sensitive issues which include insulting the king and Islam as irresponsible and having little respect for the dignity of the people or the country.They should not only be severely punished for failing to count their blessings, having been able to live in an independent country which enjoys racial harmony all these years. but i hope there are no action taken against bloggers who don't disagree with the government.


photo courtesy of JINGGO