Raja Petra was granted a bail of RM5,000/- which he refused to post, deciding instead to remain in custody until the hearing date(s) Oct 6 to 10 – 5 months from now!

His act of electing to remain in custody, when posting bail of RM5,000 is not a problem, baffles me in a disconcerting way. I don’t know why he is doing this and what great point he is trying to prove. To me it makes no sense.

First of all, the charge may be withdrawn but even if it were not, it may not, in law, stick and be thrown out by the court – so why stay 5 months in Sungai Buluh prison under remand for nothing?

Secondly, even if the charge were considered by the court as proven, RPK might as first offender be imposed a short custodial sentence of (say) two months imprisonment, so why serve 5 months before the trial has even begun?

Thirdly, if the logic is that RPK wants to show that the prosecution was all a political persecution of him as a martyr, again the fact that they charge him for sedition already proves that in public eyes and he does not really go into prison until October to show he is martyr for the Malaysian Cause.

Fourthly, if going on remand by refusing to post bail were a strategy to pressure authorities to unconditionally withdraw the charge, then (unless there’s prior understanding with some one at the top), there is no reason to think why such a strategy would work. After all they do not force him to go to prison; he was offered bail; he could well afford the RM5000/- bail : so if he decides not to post bail, it is RPK’s own doing and fault.

Fifth and lastly, RPK does not know the prison conditions – I hope he does not think it is great fun. He has many enemies, some in high places outside prison walls, who would wish him harm and could use inmates within the prison to put him in harm’s way……And what could RPK do to co-ordinate defence with his lawyers, continue his campaign to blog the Malaysian cause if he remains in prison until October, not to mention the toll on his family???

It is hard to understand from the rational standpoint, his decision not to post bail allowed and to voluntarily go to prison for perhaps as long as 5 months!