The Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) and Writers' Alliance for Media Independence (WAMI) expressed deep concern about the defamation suit filed against blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin by lawyer Shafee Abdullah, who also demanded through a court order for Raja Petra to reveal the sources of his articles said to be defamatory.
As of press time, Raja Petra refused to name his sources. The articles in question are still posted in his blog, he said.
On August 14, Shafee Abdullah, a senior lawyer as well as a commissioner of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM), filed a defamation suit and obtained a court order against Raja Petra for three articles he published on his blog, "Malaysia Today" in August. The articles, entitled "The real dalang behind Anwar's sodomy allegation," "Money, power and sex: what motivates man" and "Sodomologist Extraordinaire," alleged that the lawyer masterminded the sodomy case against Anwar Ibrahim, adviser to the People's Justice Party (PKR).
CIJ, a partner of SEAPA, and WAMI said in a statement that "the demand to reveal sources is a blow to the protection of whistleblowers, which under the Malaysian laws have always been minimal and thus hinders the expression and exposure of matters of public interest." They explained, "Apart from the reference against Shafee Abdullah, Raja Petra's allegation of the abuse of police power is a matter of public interest which warrants publication and reply by the alleged party."
CIJ and WAMI said in the statement that writers and bloggers "should not be intimidated from exposing matters of public interest by being compelled to forsake the protection of their sources. It is suffice to contest the truth or falsity of Raja Petra's articles for the purpose of seeking redress for damage to reputation without having to expose the identity of the whistleblowers."
The two media watchdogs urged for the court order to reveal the whistleblower's identity to be withdrawn and for a legislation protecting whistleblowers to be enacted to strengthen the people's right to freedom of expression and information.
