Thursday 23 April 2009

Arrest warrant out for Raja Petra

The Petaling Jaya Sessions Court has issued a warrant of arrest against Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamarudin this morning for failing to appear for his sedition trial.

Raja Petra, 58, is facing trial for the alleged seditious article entitled 'Let's send the Altantuya murderers to hell' which was posted on the Malaysia Today website.

The Star online:

PETALING JAYA: The Sessions Court here issued a warrant of arrest against Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamarudin on Thursday after he failed to turn up for his sedition trial.

His lawyer J. Chandra informed judge Rozina Ayob that his client did not turn up in court on the grounds he is on a self-imposed exile from the state for “reasons that are well known.”

“You know these ‘well known reasons,’ so please highlight them to the court,” Rozina said.

“The accused is posting his reasons on his website this morning,” said Chandra.

“You expect the court to go through that, is it?” the judge said.

Chandra then went out to explain that for over a month now, Raja Petra, 58, has posted articles or comments on issues in relation to the Selangor royal house that have angered some members of his own family who have demanded an apology.

On Malaysia Today, explaining why he did not attend court Thursday, Raja Petra wrote, “My family then gave me an ultimatum. I was to either make that public apology or else my family would insert an advertisement in the mainstream newspapers practically distancing itself from me, which could be interpreted as disowning me ....

“I went into exile outside Selangor ... . It has to be noted that this has always been the punishment for any member of the Selangor Royal Family who is considered durhaka (traitorous) since the beginning of the Selangor Sultanate more than 250 years ago.”

He also wrote that another reason why he did not attend court was the he did not expect to get a fair trial.

In court on Thursday, his lawyer Chandra added, “You have to bear in mind that he is a member of royalty and this self-imposed exile is a punishment he has handed out to himself.”

His wife Marina Lee, who is also his bailor, was also absent.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Shahidani Aziz asked for a warrant of arrest to be issued against Raja Petra and a notice of showcause for his wife and bailor Marina. The judge granted both and set May 22 for mention.

Raja Petra, a former Internal Security Act detainee, had on May 6 2008 claimed trial to publishing a seditious article on his Malaysia Today news portal on April 25 of that same year.

He is accused of publishing the article Let’s send the Altantuya murderers to hell on the website www.malaysia-today.net.

The charge under Section 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act 1948 carries a maximum fine of RM5,000 or three years' jail or both upon conviction.

8 comments:

abu said...

What a coward!

comcerned rakyat said...

why has he run off? Where to?

Very uncharacteristic of him. Is his life in danger?

Hope he & marina are safe.

Anonymous said...

Mula2 hina raja. Sekarang guna Raja nak elak dari gi court.

What an asshole la si RAJA PETRA ni!

Rakyat

antiRPK rakyat said...

bloody coward ran off into the hole..
get the interpol n have him caught.
this guy needs to be taught a lesson. Throwin him in a dungeon for life will be a good lesson, for all those of RPK's ilk, who use lies, money and bull shit to cause turmoil in a country to befit his interest or his type of govt.

straycat's strut said...

Penat tengok kan Mummy to watch different drama with different actor but the same script.

Becoming all too familiar kan? You threw muds, you threw accusations, you claimed to hold the evidence and when it is time to the real showdown, they ran away claiming threats to their lives and well-being. Ironically, they claimed to be the victims pulak dah. Convenient nye! And somehow people kesian buta-buta, sembah buta-buta and forgot about what the real issue was all about i.e. mana itu evident? Mana itu gambar? Mana itu kotak banyak-banyak?

Kena tipu selalu pun bengang jugak. Tunggu gambar Altantuya gambar ELi yang keluar. I was expecting someone being caught with his pants down but instead, oh shoot, they gave me a woman with her skirts up.

anti-RPK said...

to hell with Pete.... shameless asshole... cakap tak serupa bikin... kokok berderai2 ekor bergelumang taik. najis yang paling hina punya manusia yg bertopeng kafir ni.....

Anonymous said...

Everytime he was caught before he would pretend to be in a hunger strike and ask his wife to appeal that he stop for the family's sake. Then immediately he would eat and eventually be released. But this time around he knows that he cannot use the same trick anymore because as a bailor his wife would also be caught, so our hero cabut lah.

Long Live RPK said...

https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=28452020&postID=4081902996663702728&page=1