'What makes you think I don't have proof?'

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamaruddin was a celebrity at the Jalan Duta court complex here yesterday.

The 58-year-old arrived at 9.06am, accompanied by his wife, Marina Lee Abdullah, a battery of lawyers and a throng of supporters.

His well-wishers read like a who's who of Pakatan Rakyat notables, including Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, Teluk Kemang MP Datuk Kamarul Bahrin Abbas, Batu MP Tian Chua, Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong, PAS Youth chief Salahudin Ayub and Pandamaran state assemblyman Ronnie Liu.

Defiant as ever, Raja Petra challenged the government to repeal the Official Secrets Act (OSA) so that he could reveal what he claimed was evidence against his charge of sedition.

"What makes you think I don't have proof? What makes you think I don't have documents?

"If I do submit the proof behind my writing, they will arrest me under the OSA. You think I'm stupid?" he asked the assembled journalists.

Declaring war on the government, Raja Petra said the government should be afraid of bloggers.

Clad in a yellow shirt and blue jeans, the Internet-based political commentator said he was not informed of the charge against him until the last minute.

When it was suggested that it seemed as if he was courting prosecution by his repeated run-ins with the law, he replied that he did not want to be charged but had been expecting it.

He refused to concede that his website's contents were seditious in nature, insisting that it was not wrong to incite the people against a "dishonest government".

Part of Raja Petra's disgruntlement was understandable. He was asked to be at court by 9.30am, but was not attended to until an hour later when he was told to go to the Petaling Jaya court instead.

Lim described the charge as harassment.

"I think this is a disgraceful and atrocious development," the opposition stalwart said.

NST online