by : Nadia Shukri
YB Teresa Kok Suh Sim is out to create records, it seems. After filing a RM30 million defamation suit against journalist Zaini Hassan and the newspaper Utusan Malaysia, Teresa is now coming after Chamil Wariya and the same newspaper for the cerpen (or short story) "Politik Baru YB J". On her suing list is Umno Cheras chairman Syed Ali Alhabshee, who blogged about the setting up of a Tabung Azan as part of an initiative to help Utusan defend against Teresa's RM30 million suit. Both letters of demand to Chamil and Syed Ali were sent out from S.N. Nair & Partners' office on 17 Oct. In the suit against Chamil,who is CEO of the Malaysian Press Institute, Teresa's lawyers say the article "is deliberately designed to justify and/or encourage the causing of grave harm to our client, including assassination."
Against Syed Ali, Teresa's lawyers wrote that "The impugned words that you uttered and the allegations that you published in the said Article mean and were understood to mean that our client, inter alia: 1) is racist 2) is a religious and racist bigot 3) is untrustworthy and a politician bereft of integrity 4) is intolerant, unprincipled and low moral value 5) is chauvinistic, anti-Islam and anti-Malay and 6) has committed serious criminal offences under the Penal Code and other laws of Malaysia p.s. "Politic Baru YB J" was published on 12 OCtober as a short fiction in the newspaper's Sastera or Literature pages and translated into English by Teresa's press secretary h e r e. Syed Ali Alhabshee's Tabung Azan posting was posted on his blog h e r e. I did a posting In Defence of Utusan on why Teresa - and politicians - should not be suing newspapers on October 13. Another Malaysian blogger being arrested - Abdul Rashid Abu Bakar
August 13th, 2008
After Raja Petra, the 2nd blogger who was arrested under Seditions Act in Malaysia is Abdul Rashid Abu Bakar, whose blog is Penarik Beca (trishaw peddler).
Abdul Rashid was arrested late in the evening on 7 August 2008 in his home. Based on the press realease from the Centre for Independent Journalism, Abdul Rashid “was detained for publishing in his blog a digitally manipulated image of the police insignia, deemed to be “insulting” to the police force. Included in Abdul Rashid’s version were modifications substituting the head of a tiger for that of a dog, the jawi script of “Allah” and “Muhammad” for “C4″ (the explosive used in the murder of the Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu), and the word “Malaysia” for “Israel”.
In addition to this charge, Abdul Rashid is also being detained for alleging in his blog business connections between the force and triad society. The officer did not specify when and whether or not Abdul Rashid will be formally charged.” On 12 August 2008, Abdul Rashid made a posting in his blog telling his readers that he is not satisfied being arrested as his arrest was not due to just cause but due to his “itchy hand”. He said he has no regret for the content that his posted but he is regretted for lampooning the police logo.
Just to make a remark that Raja Petra, a Malaysian blogger, apart from being charged under the Sedition Act, he was later also being charged for criminal defamation on 17 July 2008 over the statutory declaration made in relation to the Mongolian murder case.
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