Kes Raja Petra: Polis Anjing Kerajaan

The followings are statements that were posted to me today with regards to the questioning of police force to Raja Petra of Malaysia-Today.

The photos were taken at IPD Dang Wangi after Petra was released.

GOVERNMENT CLAMPING DOWN INTERNET FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN PREPARATION FOR GENERAL ELECTION

Suaram expresses grave concerns over a worrying systematic pattern of attacks by the UMNO and the government to clamp down on freedom of expression in the internet by using the Defamation Act, Sedition Act, Official Secret Act (OSA) and the Internal Security Act (ISA).

We categorically condemn the statement of Minister of Prime Minister's Department, Nazri Aziz to use the Internal Security Act, which allows for indefinite detention without trial, against bloggers following the police report against Raja Petra, the websmaster of Malaysia Today for alleging publishing article or posting disrespectful of Islam and the King.

"We are seeing a trend of the government becoming less and less tolerant to criticism of cyber dissidents in the internet, the only free media available to dissidents in Malaysia due to the tight control of all traditional mainstream media by the government", said Yap Swee Seng, executive director of rights group, Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM).

Malaysian government pledged not to censor the content of internet as one of the ten conditions to attract foreign investments when it launched the Multi-Media Super Corridoor, a project to emulate the Silicon Valley.

Earlier, two bloggers Jeff Ooi and Rocky Bru were sued for defamation by the UMNO controlled English daily, the News Straits Times while Malaysiakini was slapped with a defamation suit by the Sarawak Chief Minister.

In early July, Tian Chua, the information chief of the opposition People Justice Party (PKR), was threatened to be detained indefinitely without trial under the draconian ISA for publishing a doctored picture in his blog depicting deputy prime minister Najib Razak having dinner with a lady and Razak Baginda, the close aide of Najib Razak who is now being prosecuted for the brutal murder of a Mongolian women, Altantuya.

On July 13, Nathaniel Tan, another blogger who also works for the de facto leader of PKR, Anwar Ibrahim, was arrested and investigated for four days under the OSA for allegedly publishing information linked to the corruption allegations against the deputy internal security minister, Johari Baharom.

Suaram calls on the information chief of the United Malay National Organization (UMNO), Muhammad Muhammad Taib to disclose to the public which article or posting in the popular website of Malaysia Today, run by Raja Petra, that were allegedly disrespectful of Islam and the King.

It is regrettable that Muhammad Muhammad Taib refused to pin point the alleged article or posting on the excuse of the sensitiveness of the issue. The excuse raises doubts whether Muhammad Taib could actually substantiate its claim with concrete evidence or merely using it to silent the website who has been very vocal in exposing allegations of corruptions and abuse of powers by the ruling parties and its leaders, especially recently on the alleged corruption of the Inspector General of Police, Musa Hassan, the Deputy Internal Security Minister Johari Baharom and the Sabah Chief Minister.

Yap said the Raja Petra incident will undoubtedly have a further chilling effect on the freedom of speech in the cyber space.

"We believe the recent spate of attacks on the internet users are politically motivated to silent criticism against the government in internet before the general election", said Yap. The general election is widely speculated to be held anytime in the next few months.

Yap said the clamping down on freedom of speech in the internet is not only breaching its own guarantee to the international investors not to censor the internet, it also constitutes grave violations of the rights enshrined in the Federal Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Suaram calls on the government to halt all attacks on freedom of expression in the internet immediately.

Yap Swee Seng
Executive Director


Tindakan Terhadap Malaysia-Today: Sekatan Terhadap Kebebasan Memberi Pendapat

Parti Keadilan Rakyat (KeADILan) berpendapat arahan pihak polis ke atas pengendali laman Malaysia-Today, Raja Petra Kamarudin untuk disoalsiasat satu intimidasi terhadap pihak-pihak yang tidak menyebelahi parti pemerintah.

Pihak polis telah menjalankan selective investigation (siasatan yang berat sebelah) yang berdasarkan kepada laporan polis yang dibuat oleh Ketua Penerangan UMNO, Muhammad Muhammad Taib.

Sungguhpun dalam laporan polisnya, Muhammad tidak menyatakan laporan yang mana satu yang dikatakan tidak menghormati Islam dan Yang Dipertuan Agung namun, Raja Petra tetap dipanggil dan disoalsiasat selama lapan jam.

KeADILan juga banyak membuat laporan polis yang melibatkan pemimpin-pemimpin UMNO yang memainkan isu perkauman dan membahayakan kemakmuran negara tetapi tidak ada apa soalsiasat dibuat oleh pihak polis terhadap mereka.

Pihak polis sepatutnya turut menyoalsiasat pihak-pihak yang memberi komen dalam berita-berita laman web.

Komentar-komentar yang berbau perkauman yang diletakkan dalam Malaysia-Today berkemungkinan besar perbuatan sabotaj daripada pegawai-pegawai Cawangan Khas (SB) dan ahli-ahli UMNO sendiri supaya pengendali web diambil tindakan.

Perbuatan itu juga mungkin salah satu usaha Muhammad dan UMNO supaya Malaysia-Today tidak beroperasi lagi dan berhenti mendedahkan kes-kes rasuah menteri dan pemimpin UMNO temasuk beliau sendiri.

Tindakan pihak berkuasa polis terhadap pengendali-pengendali web dan blogger sejak kebelakangan ini meletakkan Malaysia satu langkah ke belakang dalam hak asasi manusia untuk bebas memberi pendapat.

Pada awal Julai, Ketua Penerangan KeADILan, Tian Chua diugut untuk dikenakan tindakan di bawah Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA) hanya menyiarkan gambar rekaan beliau yang memaparkan gambar Najib Razak, Razak Baginda dan mendiang Altantuya.

Pada 13 Julai pula, blogger dan pembantu kepada Ketua Umum Parti, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim ditahan dan disiasat selama empat hari di bawah Akta Rahsia Rasmi (OSA) kernaa menyiarkan makluma mengenai tuduhan rasuah yang dilakukan oleh Timbalan Menteri Dalam Negeri, Johari Baharom.

Suara Keadilan, lidah rasmi Parti juga sehingga sekarang tidak diperbaharui permit penerbitannya.

KeADILan mencabar pihak polis untuk memanggil Datuk Norza Zakaria dan Datuk Azalina Osman Said yang dilantik oleh Presiden UMNO, Abdullah Badawi yang ditugaskan menggaji pihak-pihak tertentu sebagai cyber-trooper dalam laman-laman web berita alternatif.

KeADILan juga mencabar Muhammad untuk membuat laporan polis terhadap pertuduhan rasuah yang dilaporkan dalam Malaysia-Today yang melibatkan beliau, menteri-menteri serta para pemimpin UMNO dan Barisan Nasional (BN) temasuk Ketua Polis Negara, Musa Hassan dan Ketua Menteri Sabah sekiranya laporan Malaysia-Today selama ini tidak benar.



TAN SRI DATO’ ABDUL KHALID IBRAHIM
Setiausaha Agung Parti Keadilan Rakyat

Anonymous merepek ... permalink ... 7/26/2007 11:27:00 am ...