VZCZCXRO9612
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHKL #0631 1991032
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 171032Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1385
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHUM/AMEMBASSY ULAANBAATAR PRIORITY 0071
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY

UNCLAS KUALA LUMPUR 000631 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR EAP/MTS AND INR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PINR KJUS KDEM MY
SUBJECT: PROMINENT BLOGGER ARRESTED, CHARGED IN COURT 
 
REF: A. KUALA LUMPUR 626 
     ¶B. KUALA LUMPUR 563 
     ¶C. KUALA LUMPUR 529 
     ¶D. KUALA LUMPUR 335 
 
¶1.  Police on July 17 arrested Raja Petra, controversial 
editor of the online portal Malaysia Today, and prosecutors 
charged him with criminal defamation of Deputy Prime Minister 
Najib Razak's wife, Rosmah Mansor and two others.  In a sworn 
affidavit, Raja Petra claimed he was "reliably informed" 
Rosmah was at the murder scene of Altantuya, a Mongolian 
national linked to Najib's close political advisor Baginda, 
who is standing trial for abetting the murder (ref C). 
Police issued a summons on July 16 for Raja Petra to report 
in on July 17, and arrested him after he arrived at the 
police station.  (Note:  The summons came only a few hours 
after police arrested Anwar Ibrahim, de facto Opposition 
leader who also linked Najib to Altantuya, ref B.  End Note.) 
 
 
¶2.  Police transported Raja Petra him to the Kuala Lumpur 
Magistrate's Court, where he was formally charged.  Petra 
refused to enter a plea, saying the "grounds of the charges 
are both defective and mala fide."  Petra faces a possible 
two-years sentence if found guilty.  He is free after posting 
a 2,000 ringgit ($ 625) bail.  The court will review case 
documents on August 15 and may set a trial date at that time. 
KEITH