RPK targeting; RPK targeted

So ...

malaysiakini tells us that UMNO information chief Muhammad Taib has filed a police report against Raja Petra Kamarudin’s website Malaysia-Today for allegedly publishing disparaging remarks against the King and Islam.

Dang Wangi district police chief ACP Mohamad Zulkarnain Abdul Rahman confirmed to malaysiakini that the police will investigate the matter under the Sedition Act, Penal Code and the Multimedia and Communications Act.

Frightening 20-syllable legislative title ;-) though RPK would have been anticipating it, what with his recent sensational revelations of police and politicians’ corruption, all complete with supporting documents.

But the most amusing thing (if it can be amusing in such a threatening situation for RPK) has been the remarks by Muhammad Taib.

After stating that comments posted on M-Today blogsite "incited hate between the various races and could affect unity and national security" and that “the reports contain criminal elements which could incite anyone and cause fear. Maybe these people (bloggers) had forgotten that Malaysia is a country with many sensitivities,” he then claimed that he had been advised (by whom?) against divulging the statements and comments to the media as they were too sensitive.

Balderdash – what’s there so sensitive that couldn't be divulged when those comments at M-Today have been read already by hundreds of thousands of people, if not millions.

I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he hasn’t even read those M-Today blog comments himself, and merely made an appearance at the Dang Wangi police station as front man as if he was the author of the report.

If Muhammad Taib was truly interested in national security he should be making a police report on the alleged ties between the police and criminal elements that RPK had revealed with, as I mentioned, supporting statutory declarations by victimised police officers.

If the revelations by RPK are true, what kind of country are we living in where criminals could decide where police officers could be posted to! Now, that' a serious matter of national security interest.

But what Muhammad Taib had done has been a threatening attempt to stifle RPK's exposé by using the police and the old tested formula of ‘agama, bangsa dan negara’. Surely the mantra will warm the cockles of the heartland’s hearts, to see they have in Taib a great leader and defender of the faith (which may be why he fronted at Dang Wangi?).

With RPK, they of course have to omit the ‘bangsa’ element. but there’s still hope in this department for Hang Tuah wannabes as the MCA needs to be slapped down yet for daring to snarl back at kungfu-sword waving Hishamuddin.

I admire what RPK is doing. He not only has his 'Deep Throats' and flair for writing but more importantly the guts to post the damning stories of utter corruption and non-performance of the government, including shocking fairy tales of Sleeping Beauty and the Dwarfs (of performance).

His exposé on public governance (or lack of) are stuff that opposition dreams ought to be made of, not stupid doctored photo just to blacken a person’s name for cynical political interests rather than for reasons of justice.

Tian Chua should take a leaf, or better still several, out of RPK’s book, and focus on issues that smack of official corruption and bad or questionable policies but based on evidence.

I would dare say Tian has the guts of RPK, though with a more reckless martyr-ish flavour, but he need to cease dabbling in non-relevant matters just to pamper any particular person’s personal idiosyncrasies.

I hope Tian will stop wading in the cesspool – it’s just not his natural habitat. He should now assume more of a RPK or DAP approach, combining daring with relevance and substance.