Raja Petra detained under ISA

Prominent blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin was arrested under the Internal Security Act today.


According to her wife Marina Lee Abdullah, about 10 policemen came to his house and arrested him about 1.10 this afternoon.

Malaysia Today alert also reported :

Today (12 Sep 2008) at 1.10pm the police came to RPK's house and arrested him under Internal Security Act section 73(1). They ransacked RPK's bedroom and took away some documents and CDs.

The arrest comes a day after the government lifted blocks on all websites, including Raja Petra's popular Malaysia Today website.

Three newspapers were also issued show cause letters. They are Suara Keadilan, The Sun and Sin Chew Daily.

The Home Ministry has asked three newspapers to show cause on why action should not be taken against them over their news coverage on a number of political issues.

It is understood that they are given one week to reply, else the Minister can revoke the permit.

Raja Petra was detained under Section 73 (1) of the ISA for being a threat to security, peace and public order.

Under the detention orders, he will be detained for 60 days. The Home Minister can extend the detention order at the end of that period.

Raja Sara, his youngest daughter, told The Malaysian Insider that ten policemen entered the home and took her father away at 1.30pm to the federal police headquarters at Bukit Aman.

She believes he is there still.

"They didn't tell us anything. They didn't tell us why he was arrested; they didn't say because of which article he wrote.

"They raided the house and took away some books and files. They didn't take away any computers because there are none left. They took them all away the last time and it is with them still," said the 20-year-old over the phone, sounding rather dazed about the whole

affair.

She said her father's two lawyers, Amarjit Singh and J. Chandra have been informed of this latest development and that discussions were underway to shed more light on the situation.

Meanwhile, Bernama reports that Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said that the blogger was detained after it was ascertained that he could disrupt and threaten security and public order, he said when contacted.

Syed Hamid said the detention came in the wake of various statements' published by Raja Petra in his blog "Malaysia Today", the latest being a commentary which allegedly ridiculed Islam and Prophet Muhammad.

"We have called and advised him many times following the publishing of his statements but he has continued to write, so much so that they (the statements) could pose a threat (to security and public order)," he said.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar, when contacted, said the police would issue a statement on Raja Petra's detention this evening.

He declined to elaborate.

Raja Petra had been earlier detained under the ISA in April 2001 for his involvement in the reformation movement and was held for 53 days at the Kamunting Detention Centre in Taiping, Perak.

Raja Petra reportedly incited Muslims with a commentary on the article "I promise to be a good, non-hypocritical Muslim" which contained sentences that ridiculed Muslims besides allowing a commentary which ridiculed Islam and Prophet Muhammad with reference to the article "Not all Arabs are descendants of the Prophet" published in the "Malaysia Today" blog.

Syed Hamid issued a warning on Sept 6 that Raja Petra might be detained under the ISA in connection with the articles, and several police reports were made on the matter by several organisations, among them the Islamic Development Department of Malaysia (Jakim), the Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council (Maik), the Federal Territory Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) and the Islamic Missionary Foundation of Malaysia (Yadim).

Section 731 of the ISA permits the detention of an individual for up to 60 days.