Wife: RPK cuts contact with outside world

Syed Jaymal Zahiid May 7, 08 11:32am
Malaysia Today webmaster Raja Petra Kamaruddin - presently in jail for refusing to pay bail - has rejected all contact with the outside world including his own wife, Marina Lee Abdullah.
Marina when contacted this morning said she had gone to the Sungai Buloh prison to meet Raja Petra and to ask him if he would want to post bail today.

'The officer at the registration counter (of the prison) have informed me that my husband has refused to see anyone including me,' she told Malaysiakini.Marina added she was informed by the police that Raja Petra is apparently on hunger strike.

'The police told me that he refused to eat,' lamented Marina.

'He is on a hunger strike. It is a protest,' she told AFP. 'The last time he did this, his liver was damaged. I don't think he is going to last that long.'Marina said that she had demanded to see the deputy warden of the remand centre to get further information.

After having met with him later, Marina said she suspected that “something was not right” and pressed the the deputy warden on whether food had been given to her husband.

“The officer told me that they did give him coffee, drinks and food but my husband had refused to take them and reiterated that he does not want to see anyone; lawyers or family members,” she said calmly.

'I don't blame him but of course he's my husband and... if he doesn't want to meet even me, this means it is bad news,' she said.

Marina had insisted to see her husband but was told by the deputy warden that detainees too have rights and that Raja Petra has every right to refuse contact or consume food given to him.

Contact again tomorrow
After getting a request from Raja Petra for his spectacles, Marina then went home and returned for a visit with lawyer Matthias Chang this afternoon to demand a letter from her husband as proof of his refusal to meet everyone including family members.

“The prison officers told me that detainees are not allowed to hand over anything from within the prison because it’s the prison rules,” she said.

Even lawyer Chang was unable to see Raja Petra.

The calm 53-year-old Mrs Raja Petra added that she would try to establish contact with her husband again tomorrow.

Raja Petra was charged yesterday with sedition at the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court over an article which he wrote in his website.

The article allegedly implied that Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his wife of being involved in the killing of a young Mongolian woman.

Raja Petra claimed trial to the charge. He was charged under Section 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act for publishing seditious article on April 25 on Malaysia Today.

Hearing has been fixed from Oct 6 to 10 and Raja Petra was granted a bail of RM5,000, which he refused to post, deciding instead to remain in custody until the hearing date five months from today.

http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/82444

Raja Petra still declines visitors, gets specs (update 2) (The Star)
By M. MAGESWARI

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Raja Kamarudin remains adamant in his refusal to meet anyone, even his wife who twice tried to see him at Sungai Buloh prison on Wednesday.

After having failed to meet him at 10.30am, Marina Lee Abdullah, who was accompanied by their youngest daughter, Sarah, and lawyer Matthias Chang attempted again at noon.
Marina, 54, said she had insisted that she wanted to meet her spouse but Raja Petra refused to have any visitors.

However, she managed to deliver the spectacles he had requested earlier via a prison warden.
The housewife said she also believed that Raja Petra is declining meals in prison as he had also done so when he was detained under the Internal Security Act for three months in 2001.

"I will try again to see him Thursday. I already asked the prison official to convey a message to him that I will not stop visiting him daily until he sees me. This has only caused the official to smile at me," Marina said when contacted.

The mother of five children, however, said she was glad that the prison warden was polite with regards to her request on both occasions.

"I will discuss with the lawyers over the next course of action," she said with a sigh.

On his condition in the prison, Marina said she was not worried about his safety.

Raja Petra's youngest daughter, Sarah, 19, said her mother was trying her level best to meet him.

"She wants to get the green light from him before withdrawing the money for his bail," added Sarah.

His lawyer J. Chandra said the defence team was not able to met Raja Petra on Wednesday but would try again on Thursday. Chandra confirmed that Raja Petra had refused bail earlier.

At the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court here, there were well-wishers who came to the court to find out if Raja Petra would post bail Wednesday following press reports that his readers had contributed RM24,500 and US$3,283.61 (RM10,441.87) via an online campaign for his bail.

At 4.30pm, a court official confirmed that nobody had approached them to process Raja Petra's bail application.

"If his wife or anyone approach us for his bail, the court would have to issue an order to produce (OTP) him in court for the purpose. The police will normally need a day to make the necessary arrangements for this," she added.

Raja Petra had on Tuesday claimed trial in the Sessions Court here to publishing a seditious article in its website on April 25.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/7/nation/20080507122531&sec=nation