RPK's sedition trial postponed

The sedition trial of popular blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin has been postponed to Nov 10-13 as Sessions judge Rozina Ayob is on medical leave.

Judge Balqis Aini Mohd Ali presided over the hearing at the Petaling Jaya Session Court this morning.

DPP Ishak Mohd Yusoff informed the court that he will be calling 10 to 13 witnesses when the hearing resumes.

Before the adjournment, defence counsel J Chandra (extreme left in photo) applied for permission for Raja Petra to be allowed a further medical check-up to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.

Chandra said an initial examination last Friday had revealed that his client is suffering from a “pre-existing condition of lumbar spine degenerative disease which was aggravated after moving into detention”.

“He feels that the poor sleeping facilities at the detention centre exacerbated his condition,” said Chandra reading from the medical examination report by a chiropractor at the Cheras Specialist Centre.

The judge allowed Raja Petra to go for a follow-up examination, on condition of compliance with all rules of the Internal Security Act (ISA).

Raja Petra, editor of the Malaysia Today web portal, has been detained since Sept 22 under the ISA and is being held at the Kamunting detention camp in Perak.

He is also defending himself against alleged sedition based on an April 25 posting on his website which implied that Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor were involved in the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu. Both have strongly denied the allegation.

If found guilty under Section 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act, Raja Petra could face up to three years imprisonment or a maximum RM5,000 fine, or both.

Additions made to diet

The trial had been set to continue today with re-examination of the complainant and fifth witness Gan Tack Guan. The assistant director of the Interpol National Centre Bureau at police headquarters Bukit Aman, he had filed a first-information report on the matter.

He is also the chief investigation officer in the Altantuya murder trial which is in process at the Shah Alam High Court.

Before the break in the sedition proceedings, Chandra had attempted to claim in court that the document on which the charge was based, had been ‘doctored’.

Lead prosecutor DPP Roslan Mat Nor then requested for time to review the charge and was given up to today to do so.

Last week, English-language daily Star had reported that additions have been approved to Raja Petra’s diet, after he complained about the food provided in the detention camp.

Asked today if he is happier with the food, Raja Petra said: “Now I get biscuits and eggs.”

He also told reporters that he is being held in solitary confinement and that he spends most of his time reading.

“(I read) one book for three or four days; if it is a thinner book, then (I take) just one day,” he added.

“There are about 400 prisoners… but I’m the only one (in for publishing articles). I’m (considered) to be the enemy of the state (for being critical of the government).”

The latest available official figure for the current number of ISA detainees is 79, as at August last year.