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©The
Star (Used by permission)
by M. Mageswari
 PETALING JAYA: Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Raja Kamarudin posted a
seditious article in the website on April 25, the Sessions Court heard.
Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission’s director for Security, Trust
and Governance department Harme Mohamed said he could identify Raja Petra’s name
and the article's date after perusing the front page of the article.
Questioned by lead prosecutor DPP Roslan Mat Nor, the first witness said he
could confirm that the article was posted on the portal based on its 'domain
name’ printed in the document as Malaysia Today.
However, cross-examined by lead counsel J. Chandra, Harme agreed that he did not
have any evidence that showed that it was indeed Raja Petra who posted the
article.
Harme, who is also the commission’s International Affairs department deputy
director, admitted that the posting could be done by anyone who had access to
the blogger’s user name and password.
Harme further agreed to a suggestion by Chandra that the website was very
popular and accessible to people for 24 hours all around the world.
He agreed that the owner of the website or its author would not be there for 24
hours to monitor its Internet traffic due to its availability.
Questioned by Chandra, Harme said he was aware that Raja Petra had been under
detention under the Internal Security Act since Sept 12.
Harme admitted to a suggestion by Chandra that there were still several postings
under Raja Petra’s name in the website after his arrest.
Asked who did the postings after the blogger’s detention at the Kamunting camp,
Harme said somebody else had done it and that there were others who has access
to the website.
He also admitted to Chandra that an inspection report by the police’s Computer
Forensic Investigation Unit did not show the posting dated April 25.
He agreed that one could literally hide in cyber space. Asked about his
impression of the website, Harme said that it denounced money politics, ethnic
polarisation and advocated transparency, accountability and justice.
He said that he had, since last year, been spending 15 minutes a week reading
articles that appeared on the website. Questioned by DPP Farhan Read, he said
that TOR (onion router) software was normally used by Internet users so that
they could be anonymous in cyberspace.
Earlier, judge Rozina Ayob allowed an application by Chandra to have access to
Raja Petra on courtroom on grounds that he had only met his client once after
his arrest.
Speaking to reporters earlier, Raja Petra, who was hugged and kissed by his
family members upon his arrival at the court premises, said he spent his time
reading books at the camp.
So far, the blogger, who was brought in from the camp on Sunday, said he had
read nine books.
“I read one of the books in one day. My wife (Marina Lee Abdullah ) had given me
a new book on autobiography of a leader, Joe Slovo, yesterday, to read,” he said
with a laugh.
On his recent 58th birthday on Sept 27, he quipped that he had a birthday cake
and a girl “jumped” before him as part of the celebrations that day. Besides
that, he said he had `dreams’ about the new government and plans for the people.
The hearing continues today.
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