The RPK Phenomenon

Raja Petra Kamaruddin (RPK) is a phenomenon.  RPK is known to not just Malaysians, but also the international community, via his website Malaysia Today (MT).  That the latter has become an authoritative source of information about what is not going so well with the BN government stems from the fact that each piece of story which RPK chooses to post, no matter how baffling and incredible, would later turn out to be true. The latest concerns a member of the prosecution team for the Sodomy II trial.  When the piece about her first appeared in MT, it sounded too good to be true.  But now even the AG cannot ignore it and has to respond, implicitly admitting the truth of the episode.
1.  RPK, represented by his website, Malaysia Today, is a phenomenon not just for Malaysia, but also for the world.
2.  RPK started his website during the Reformasi period just as Malaysiakini, and later Malaysian Insider, appeared on the media landscape to provide the public with a more balanced coverage of news and issues affecting them.
3.  Unlike Malaysiakini and Malaysian Insider which adhere to journalistic norms, MT deviates from the norms; the way it reports courts controversies, and often borders on sedition.
4.  For all these shortcomings on the part of MT, the readers seem just too willing to forgive RPK, and seem quite pleased to settle for the benefits of knowing about what others would not publish or print.  In other words, in this unique case the end does justify the means!
5.  The readers of MT, needless to say, increase in number by the day for the reason that MT has carved out for itself such an excellent track record.
6.  For that reason, the authority has become so afraid of RPK and his website.  They tried to imprison him (yes, imprison him they did) so that he would not be able to write.  But that turns out to be just impossible, even puts the government in the same league as the comical character of Sheriff Lobo.
7.  Putting RPK behind bars will not stop his torrent of reporting and analyses and communicating issues critically relevant to the people.  This is evident from the fact that while he spent his time in Kamunting, his postings kept coming!
8.  The authority would of course like to banish RPK.  That he is at the moment a fugitive is a consequence of the determination of the authority to prosecute him; in fact he has been denied his rightful place in this country of his own.
9.   It seems ironic that it is while he is outside the country, seemingly out of touch with the reality, that is Malaysia, that he posted the latest explosive piece.
10. So it appears that to silence RPK is a futile effort.  No matter what happens to RPK, Malaysia Today will live on.
12. Of course, they try to discredit his postings by saying it contains '2% truth and the rest is just lies'.  But then, it is that 2% which constitutes the fact of the matter that matters, and most people can just do away with the supporting evidence of the truth which may be elusive, being well-protected by the all too-powerful machinery of the power that be.
13. Together with Malaysiakini and Malaysian Insider, Malaysia Today may just represent the conscience of the civil society.  Bravo, RPK!