RPK takes on…everybody
Instead of toeing the Pakatan line by harping on themes that questioned the Barisan Nasional’s takeover, he highlighted the Pakatan's flaws and weaknesses in Perak that had led to its downfall.
THE CORRIDORS OF POWER
By NJ AHMAD, The Malay Mail
LIFE is never dull in the SoPo Blogosphere when you have its most famous denizen around – the always-controversial and almost-iconic Raja Petra Kamarudin blasting at full speed and living on knife’s edge. Let’s not get into the back-stabbing.
In the space of less than a week, the man with the country’s most well-known initials, RPK, has shocked and astounded detractors and ardent admirers alike by coming out in support of Perak’s Sultan Azlan Shah, criticised his own supporters, derided the top Pakatan Rakyat leaders and calling for their replacement, challenged a renowned lawyer, spotlighted a triad boss, and made insinuations against various judges and ministers in the process.
The amazing thing is that the 58-year-old Raja Petra did all these while also facing court cases that could see him being incarcerated for an unknown number of years ahead. And this might even happen before February ends, if things go badly against him.
On the national political front, Raja Petra had previously been content to be among the supporting cast of Pakatan since the Shah Alam High Court ordered his release from ISA detention last Nov 7.
Last month, he was the most illustrious member of a group of Barisan Rakyat bloggers who set up camp to help the Pas candidate win the Kuala Terengganu byelection.
He was also in Ipoh on Feb 5 to lend support to the Pakatan, which had just lost control of the Perak State government.
But this secondary mode changed from last Saturday onwards when Raja Petra made a posting that created shockwaves in Blogosphere – especially among the Pakatan leaders and supporters. Instead of toeing the Pakatan line by harping on themes that questioned the Barisan Nasional’s takeover, he highlighted the Pakatan's flaws and weaknesses in Perak that had led to its downfall.
However, it was Raja Petra’s defence of Sultan Azlan – and denouncing those who had blamed the ruler – that had created the biggest wedge with many of his previous supporters. Personal attacks and malicious accusations against him soon poured in at his ‘No Holds Barred’ blog in online news portal Malaysia Today (http://mt.m2day.org) and at other blogs.
In the past, Raja Petra had usually chosen to ignore these; perhaps because of his realising the futility of responding to all the negative statements and speculations that celebrities have to live with. But there was one instance this week where he lashed back at a comment by a reader:
“Mendela, (Nickname of a commentator) I should punch you in the face for suggesting that I ‘sided’ with the Sultan and Umno because of my court cases next week. I am made of better stuff than you suggest. I bet you would never make that statement with your name and address below it. So who is the chicken, you or me?”
So what’s happened to this symbol of the anti-establishment, and whose name is also synonymous with the word “blog” among those who neither write nor read them?
Something that he wrote at the very beginning of his post might actually explain it: “Well, that is because I sudah menyampah.” According to the dictionary, it is a feeling that ranges from mere “dislike” to a venomous “hate”. It is safe to say that Raja Petra’s feelings for Pakatan – and especially towards its leaders – is at the moment stronger than just dislike.
Last Tuesday, a daily reported that he has called for Pakatan de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang and Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang to resign; saying that the three were out of touch with the people and that they were responsible for the loss of Perak.
This report led to another round of posts on blogosphere; including at Lim Kit Siang’s blog (http://blog.limkitsiang.com) and former Malay Mail editor Ahirudin Attan’s Rocky’s Bru (http://rockybru.com.my).
Ignoring the frenzy of incensed comments from blog readers sympathetic to Pakatan, Raja Petra had also taken on prominent lawyer Datuk Muhammad Shafee Abdullah. Last Monday, he published a post concerning a police report allegedly made by one Low Siew Ley in Subang Jaya over a land deal.
Raja Petra has had to attend court hearings throughout the whole of this week. The Federal Court will decide on a cross-appeal by the government against the High Court decision that had freed him (postponed to Feb 17). Shafee’s civil suit lodged against him last year is also scheduled for an inter-parte hearing on Feb 23.
He is also facing a sedition charge at the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court.
But these had not stopped the apparently indomitable Raja Petra from taking on yet another issue and powerful figures with his post last Wednesday titled “Heavenly King: The Story of Kuala Lumpur’s Boss of Bosses”. This is about Datuk Koo Tee Yam @ Ah Lek, who was arrested and detained under the ISA for alleged criminal activities and apparently “mysteriously” released after being detained for a second time.
Love him or hate him but one thing’s for sure – when Raja Petra writes, a good many people will read. Such is the RPK’s reign in the SoPo Blogosphere.
