What now, RPK?

By TAY TIAN YAN
Translated by DOMINIC LOH
Sin Chew Daily

Blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin (RPK) is back in the scene. Although he fails to move the mountains this time, he has nevertheless managed to create some small talks in town.

Interviewed by the Sunday editions of pro-Umno Utusan Malaysia, Berita Harian and New Straits Times, RPK hit out straight at Anwar Ibrahim and Pakatan, and instantly became the media star of the day.

He said a homosexual could not become Malaysia’s prime minister, adding that he was 90% sure the guy in Datuk T’s video was Anwar Ibrahim.

Coincidentally, a verdict on Anwar’s sodomy case will be delivered in a matter of days, while the general election is around the corner.

The fact that RPK was interviewed by these three newspapers in Singapore gave the whole matter an accentuated dramatic twist.

Many Pakatan supporters and members of the public have long lost their faith in RPK, who on the eve of Sarawak’s state election last April appeared on TV3 and talked of many things that contravened the principles he earlier cherished.

He was defending his own acts and clarifying some things at that time, including the statutory declaration in relation to Altantuya’s murder which he said he made under misguidance.

That could have been an attempt to deliver himself out of the trouble. For a dissident, that was something pathetic, but from the point of a person in exile, his behaviour was nevertheless understandable.

That said, his latest remarks only served to entrench the damage already done to him. By slamming Anwar and the opposition pact, it was evident RPK indeed had his own agenda, especially with the verdict of the sodomy trial just days away.

He said “he was told” that the Selangor state government was as corrupt as its predecessor, although he fell short of providing any evidence to back his claim.

There are two ways one can explain RPK’s bizzare behaviour.

1. He hates Anwar Ibrahim more than anyone else, like a wrestler who would run into the ring and throw out his fists blindly in hope of bringing down his opponent.

2. He wants to come back to this country so much that he would change his old stand in a bid to clear his name and get accepted once again.

Because of the statutory declaration he made with regard to the Altantuya murder, he was summoned by the court but failed to show up. He later left the country in self exile and this won him approval from many sympathisers.

Anwar Ibrahim has remained in the country to face his charges and defend his name. Not RPK.

This alone doesn’t make RPK any more eligible to criticise Anwar.