This is an interesting article from sjsandteam aka The Might of the Pen's blog. I felt compelled to post it here being a late comer into the political scene. Thanks to sjsandteam.
HISTORY OF RAJA PETRA KAMARUDIN
Raja Petra bin Raja Kamarudin was born on 27th. September 1950. He is a Malaysian editor known for running the Malaysia Today website and publishing a series of commentary articles on Malaysian politics in the website. He is also fondly referred to as Double Baldy or Balddick as he has a shaven head and is known by the initials RPK.
He was detained for a second time under the Internal Security Act, at 1.10 PM on 12 September 2008.
Born in Surrey, England, 27th September 1950, Raja Petra was educated at the Alice Smith School. At the age of 13 he went to further his studies at the Malay College Kuala Kangsar, completing his education at the Victoria Institution. Raja Petra Kamarudin used to own a motorcycle dealership and rice distributor. He has been fascinated with motorcycles since he was young.
On April 14, 1973, at the age of 23 years old, he married Marina Lee binti Abdullah who was then 18 years old. Marina Lee Abdullah, of Siamese-Chinese extraction, is a book publisher. Raja Petra and Marina have five children (Raja Suraya 1974, Raja Azman 1977, Raja Shahril 1978, Raja Azmir 1983 and Raja Sara 1988) and two grandchildren.
Raja Petra is a member of the Selangor royal family. He is the nephew of the late Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, the eleventh Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) of Malaysia and the seventh Sultan of Selangor. His mother, Che’ Bariya Kamarudin (née Barbara Mabel Parnell) is Welsh.
Raja Petra was a leading member of Parti Keadilan Nasional (now Parti Keadilan Rakyat)—the party set up in response to the arrest of former Malaysian deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim in 1998. On April 11, 2001, Raja Petra and 10 other opposition activists were detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for allegedly plotting to overthrow then prime minister Mahathir bin Mohamad. He was released from the detention center 52 days later.
Raja Petra started the Malaysia Today website and his blog to facilitate open discussion on Malaysia’s political and social scenes. In his online writings, he is often very witty, humorous and sometimes critical of the current political developments in Malaysia. In his Malaysia Today’s columns, he advocates for transparency, accountability and justice in the Malaysian political system. He often denounces money politics, corruption, and ethnic polarisation that is deeply rooted in Malaysian society.
On July 2, 2008, Malaysia Today was defaced by a person known only as “Gasakdotnet”, replacing the website with a superimposition of Mahathir Mohammad’s face into the poster of the film We Were Soldiers accompanied by the tagline “My Countrymen, My Fellow Malaysian.”, alluding to Mahathir’s “battle” for Malaysia as the Prime Minister from 1981 to 2003. Poor Internet connectivity affecting several areas in Malaysia hampered efforts to restore the website promptly.
July 2008, Malaysia Today have been badly blocked (of its IP) or hacked to prevent readers to view the information. Although the website IP have been changed frequently. But it seems there are no improvement for a smooth viewing of Malaysia Today. Malaysia Today (http://www.malaysia-today.net) died 6:00PM 26 August 2008, left relaunched a new website Harapan Malaysia (http://mt.harapanmalaysia.com) to continue the fight. The current Malaysia Today website is maintained under (http://mt.m2day.org/2008) after the second website was blocked.
On September 12, 2008 Raja Petra was detained under the Internal Security Act. According to his wife, Marina, 10 police personnel from Bukit Aman came to their home in Sungai Buloh at about 1.10pm to arrest him. They also confiscated some books and VCDs. Prior to this on September 6, Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar had warned the 58-year-old editor of popular news portal Malaysia Today could be charged under the ISA for comments allegedly insulting Islam and Prophet Muhammad. Several religious groups - Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim), Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (Yadim), Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council (Maiwp) and Federal Territory Religious Department (Jawi) - had lodged police reports against him. The groups complained his comment in an article entitled “I Promise to be a good, non-hypocritical Muslim” allegedly used sentences that insulted Muslims.
Raja Petra Raja Kamarudin filed a habeas corpus application at the High Court here on September 16, 2008 seeking his release from detention under the Internal Security Act. The notice of motion was filed at the High Court criminal registry about 3.45pm via Messrs Mathews Hun Kandiah. In a move to counteract the probable release of Raja Petra Raja Kamarudin by the Malaysian High Court, the Malaysian Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar signed an order to remand Raja Petra on Monday September 22, 2008 for up to two years to the detention facility under section 8 of the ISA. The move by the Malaysian government underlines that there were no probable cause to arrest Raja Petra and that the new order under section 8 is done to keep Raja Petra Raja Kamarudin from criticizing the ruling party. Remand orders under section 8 can not be challenged in court and is always ordered by a minister of the government.
Held under a draconian security law without trial, Raja Petra was jailed at the Kamunting Detention Center in northern Perak state, which has 60 detainees under ISA, most of whom are suspected Islamic extremists. ISA permits the government an initial detention of 2 months for investigation, followed by a 2-year jail sentence which can be renewed indefinitely. The 1948 ISA is a holdover from British colonial rule, intended for communist insurgents. His wife Marina Lee Abdullah said: “(Police) said my husband has been sent to Kamunting this morning and that he will remain there for two years with no trial. This is the worst news I can receive but we will keep fighting for his release. This is dirty foul play by the government as they know that we are in the process of fighting for his release in the court but I was expecting this.
Raja Petra was detained for allegedly ‘insulting Islam’ and publishing articles on his website which has tarnished the country’s leadership to the point of causing confusion among the people.” Raja Petra’s lawyer Malik Imtiaz Sarwar tried to move for his release in a court hearing but this was dismissed. Raja Petra’s detention caused widespread protests by civil society groups, lawyers and other online commentators. A second application to release Raja is currently being heard in the country’s court, which is postponed to 12th November. 2008.
He was detained for a second time under the Internal Security Act, at 1.10 PM on 12 September 2008.
Born in Surrey, England, 27th September 1950, Raja Petra was educated at the Alice Smith School. At the age of 13 he went to further his studies at the Malay College Kuala Kangsar, completing his education at the Victoria Institution. Raja Petra Kamarudin used to own a motorcycle dealership and rice distributor. He has been fascinated with motorcycles since he was young.
On April 14, 1973, at the age of 23 years old, he married Marina Lee binti Abdullah who was then 18 years old. Marina Lee Abdullah, of Siamese-Chinese extraction, is a book publisher. Raja Petra and Marina have five children (Raja Suraya 1974, Raja Azman 1977, Raja Shahril 1978, Raja Azmir 1983 and Raja Sara 1988) and two grandchildren.
Raja Petra is a member of the Selangor royal family. He is the nephew of the late Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, the eleventh Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) of Malaysia and the seventh Sultan of Selangor. His mother, Che’ Bariya Kamarudin (née Barbara Mabel Parnell) is Welsh.
Raja Petra was a leading member of Parti Keadilan Nasional (now Parti Keadilan Rakyat)—the party set up in response to the arrest of former Malaysian deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim in 1998. On April 11, 2001, Raja Petra and 10 other opposition activists were detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for allegedly plotting to overthrow then prime minister Mahathir bin Mohamad. He was released from the detention center 52 days later.
Raja Petra started the Malaysia Today website and his blog to facilitate open discussion on Malaysia’s political and social scenes. In his online writings, he is often very witty, humorous and sometimes critical of the current political developments in Malaysia. In his Malaysia Today’s columns, he advocates for transparency, accountability and justice in the Malaysian political system. He often denounces money politics, corruption, and ethnic polarisation that is deeply rooted in Malaysian society.
On July 2, 2008, Malaysia Today was defaced by a person known only as “Gasakdotnet”, replacing the website with a superimposition of Mahathir Mohammad’s face into the poster of the film We Were Soldiers accompanied by the tagline “My Countrymen, My Fellow Malaysian.”, alluding to Mahathir’s “battle” for Malaysia as the Prime Minister from 1981 to 2003. Poor Internet connectivity affecting several areas in Malaysia hampered efforts to restore the website promptly.
July 2008, Malaysia Today have been badly blocked (of its IP) or hacked to prevent readers to view the information. Although the website IP have been changed frequently. But it seems there are no improvement for a smooth viewing of Malaysia Today. Malaysia Today (http://www.malaysia-today.net) died 6:00PM 26 August 2008, left relaunched a new website Harapan Malaysia (http://mt.harapanmalaysia.com) to continue the fight. The current Malaysia Today website is maintained under (http://mt.m2day.org/2008) after the second website was blocked.
On September 12, 2008 Raja Petra was detained under the Internal Security Act. According to his wife, Marina, 10 police personnel from Bukit Aman came to their home in Sungai Buloh at about 1.10pm to arrest him. They also confiscated some books and VCDs. Prior to this on September 6, Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar had warned the 58-year-old editor of popular news portal Malaysia Today could be charged under the ISA for comments allegedly insulting Islam and Prophet Muhammad. Several religious groups - Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim), Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (Yadim), Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council (Maiwp) and Federal Territory Religious Department (Jawi) - had lodged police reports against him. The groups complained his comment in an article entitled “I Promise to be a good, non-hypocritical Muslim” allegedly used sentences that insulted Muslims.
Raja Petra Raja Kamarudin filed a habeas corpus application at the High Court here on September 16, 2008 seeking his release from detention under the Internal Security Act. The notice of motion was filed at the High Court criminal registry about 3.45pm via Messrs Mathews Hun Kandiah. In a move to counteract the probable release of Raja Petra Raja Kamarudin by the Malaysian High Court, the Malaysian Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar signed an order to remand Raja Petra on Monday September 22, 2008 for up to two years to the detention facility under section 8 of the ISA. The move by the Malaysian government underlines that there were no probable cause to arrest Raja Petra and that the new order under section 8 is done to keep Raja Petra Raja Kamarudin from criticizing the ruling party. Remand orders under section 8 can not be challenged in court and is always ordered by a minister of the government.
Held under a draconian security law without trial, Raja Petra was jailed at the Kamunting Detention Center in northern Perak state, which has 60 detainees under ISA, most of whom are suspected Islamic extremists. ISA permits the government an initial detention of 2 months for investigation, followed by a 2-year jail sentence which can be renewed indefinitely. The 1948 ISA is a holdover from British colonial rule, intended for communist insurgents. His wife Marina Lee Abdullah said: “(Police) said my husband has been sent to Kamunting this morning and that he will remain there for two years with no trial. This is the worst news I can receive but we will keep fighting for his release. This is dirty foul play by the government as they know that we are in the process of fighting for his release in the court but I was expecting this.
Raja Petra was detained for allegedly ‘insulting Islam’ and publishing articles on his website which has tarnished the country’s leadership to the point of causing confusion among the people.” Raja Petra’s lawyer Malik Imtiaz Sarwar tried to move for his release in a court hearing but this was dismissed. Raja Petra’s detention caused widespread protests by civil society groups, lawyers and other online commentators. A second application to release Raja is currently being heard in the country’s court, which is postponed to 12th November. 2008.
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