Blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin's wife, Marina Abdullah, and two daughters, were today (16th September 2008) allowed to meet her husband, their father, at federal police headquarters Bukit Aman this morning, five days after Raja Petra was detailed under the draconian Internal Security Act (ISA).
[This is the first visit which has been allowed since Raja Petra's arrest and detention under the oppressive and draconian ISA last Friday]
"My husband has been harassed almost on an hourly basis.
He has been denied proper sleep and he does not look good," she said after a one hour visit.
According to her, her husband has a message for the Malaysian people - that being:-
‘They should take over the government today.’
She also said that lawyers will be filing a writ of habeas corpus seeking her husband’s release later today.
Blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin had been lying low in anticipation of being arrested under the Internal Security Act since early this week.
In an interview with the BBC on Tuesday, Raja Petra said he wanted to avoid arrest in order to continue operating his Malaysia Today news portal in the run-up to the possible change in government on Sept 16.
“I have to lay low to disseminate information. If they pick me up after Sept 16, I don’t care,” he said in the phone interview three days ago.
This is believed to be Raja Petra’s last known interview before he was arrested under Section 73(1) of the ISA today. He is currently being held by the police in an unknown location.
He is expected to be held under police’s custody for up to 60 days before being sent to the Kamunting Detention Centre in Taiping, Perak, where ISA detainees are incarcerated.
Raja Petra said worries of an impending arrest was triggered by Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar’s warning that he could be detained under the tough security law for allegedly insulting Islam in an article he wrote in Malaysia Today.
“I was told they would probably pick up all the bloggers, at least until it is safe to release everyone again, but we need to be free because we need information to flow,” he said.
Following this, Raja Petra said he had not gone home since Sunday. He was however arrested at his home at 1.10pm today by a team of 10 police officers. Government’s last tango ‘to silence us’
Raja Petra dismissed the government’s claim that cyber dissidents were inciting religious or racial sentiments.
“Malaysia Today has always been propagating stability and racial unity. What we are propagating is the exact opposite of what the government is saying,” he said.
He accused the government of being guilty of whipping up fear by suggesting that there would be racial riots in the event of a change in government.
“Show me one country where the government changes and people die. (This would not happen) unless those who lose power wish to do something (to cause bloodshed),” he added.
When asked whether action was being taken against him because of his role in publishing allegations linking Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his wife to a high-profile murder case, he said: “I think it’s not just that.”
“Over the last four years, Malaysia Today had been a real pain… The government has tried all sort of things (to stop us) - arrest, harrasment, confiscation of computers, criminal charges and civil suits.
“They find that we do not let up and continue. I suppose the government is going for its last attempt, its last tango, to silence us.”
Let the truth be told
Say NO to intimidation, threats, oppression and lies.
Blogger Bakaq,whose blog is called “Penarik Beca” who was detained by the police, and has been held since 6th August 2008, for allegedly 'defacing' [on his blog] the Royal Malaysia Police logo by replacing the tiger symbol with a barking dog, (he is also said to have ‘removed or defaced’ the crown bearing the words Allah and Muhammad with the symbol of a star), has finally been released.
CCID Director Commissioner Koh Hong Sun confirmed that Bakaq, whose real name is Abdul Rashid Abu Bakar, was released from the Federal Commercial Crimes Investigation Department at 17:40 on Friday 8th August 2008.
Bakaq has been instructed to report in person to the Federal Commercial Crimes Investigation Department at 10:30 on 20th August 2008.This sound ominous and threatening!
Four plain-clothed policemen arrested the the blogger at his house in Taman Greenwood in Gombak at about 23:00 last Wednesday night, note the intimidating anti-social timing.
It is understood that police seized a portable computer and a mobile telephone belonging to the Bakaq, and arrested him under Section 4 (1) of the archaic and suppressive Sedition Act.
Say no to a police-state
Power to the People!
Aim for a true democracy, full human rights and freedoms
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 7 (Bernama) -- Blogger 'Penarik Beca', who real name is Abu Bakar Mohd Rashid,50, was detained by police in connection with an article on his blog about the police force and Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan.
The Commercial Crimes Investigation Department's investigation officer for cyber crimes Supt Victor Sanjos said Abu Bakar was detained at 10pm at his home in Taman Koperasi Polis here to assist investigations under Section 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act 1948.
"Abu Bakar in his blog had published an article which showed a modified logo of the Royal Malaysia Police with derogatory comments about Musa including claims that Musa was being controlled by Chinese crime syndicates," Sanjos told Bernama here Thursday.
The blogger was being detained at the Dang Wangi police station lock-up and would be released tomorrow, he added."
