Of Dust and Million Ringgit Libel Suit on RPK, PKR Sites

2008 Dust Still Lingers
It is a messy day for me after reading a number of news and blog entries on Malaysian politics in Malaysiakini and various news spots . It seems like the 2008 election dust has not settled down.

There is nothing really profound to read upon, only a massive messy state of affairs. Most of the state governments have been installed but as for the plans and mechanisms on respective states, everything is still in a blur, except for Penang and Kelantan.

As for UMNO, the main event being discussed is the internal polling. The latest official date reported is December. Unofficial sources rumoured April. Whatever that is, we shall see a big showdown on Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and changes to the party itself. It was also rumoured that all party posts could be contestable.

Million Ringgit Libel Suit
Meanwhile, as a blogger, I feel a certain amount of distraught and displeasure over a case of a million ringgit suit against Raja Petra Kamarudin, the web owner of Malaysia Today and Suara Keadilan. According to the post, Online writer, opposition paper slam libel verdict , University Utara Malaysia and its vice-chancellor Nordin Kardi had filed a lawsuit against Raja Petra Kamarudin, who runs the popular Malaysia Today website, and Suara Keadilan, the newspaper of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), over a piece that alleged Mr Nordin had plagiarised an article. The High Court in Kedah ruled on Wednesday that Raja Petra must pay RM4 million (S$1.8 million) for publishing the defamatory article on his website in 2006. The court also ordered the PKR newspaper to pay RM3 million for reprinting the same article.

There is a lengthy and detailed explanation from the blog Muhtar Suhaili As-Sarawaki. The current stand of Raja Petra and PKR on this matter is "civil disobedience".

Opinion on the suit
Let's take a look at the meaning of Libel according to Wiktionary.

libel (plural libels)
1) A written (notably as handbill) or pictorial statement which unjustly seeks to damage someone's reputation.
2) (uncountable) The act or crime of displaying such a statement publicly.

It shall be made clear the common reason for the initiation of a libel suit by a prosecuting person is to protect his/her reputation or any associated parties. Most of the time, if the libel has become widespread, famous and obviously talked about in many places by many people until it gives an impression that the libel may be real and only then the person affected will consider making a case out of it.

Honestly, I did not know who is Dr. Nordin Kardi before this. Neither do I know he is associated with UUM or the existence of such alleged libel. I mean, for God's sake the article was in 2006. Today is 2008. It's been years. I have been surfing Malaysia Today for many years, never stopped since 2004 and I can't even remember such article even after the suit is being filed.

Personally, I think this libel suit is certainly "interesting" because it made me pay attention on Dr. Nordin Kardi, UUM and the article mentioned. Ironic, isn't it?

I could not recall the so-called libel before this libel suit. Now everybody knows. Do you feel it is a much talked about affair in blogs today (after the libel) rather than in the past? Ironic, isn't it? Smells strange, doesn't it?

I leave it for the readers of this blog to think about this.