PETALING JAYA (May 9, 2008): Malaysia-Today.net webmaster and blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin who was charged under the Sedition Act for a posting on his website an article titled “Let’s send the Altantuya murderers to hell” was released on bail on Friday, after spending three nights in prison.

Raja Petra, 58, who was arrested on Tuesday, said he was prepared to stay in prison until the trial fixed for Oct 6, but claimed that the prison authorities told him that they could not "guarantee his safety" in the Sungai Buloh prison.

Chief Insp Azilah Hadri and Cpl Sirul Azhar Umar, who are now being tried for the murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu, are also being incarcerated in the same prison. Political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, who was charged with abetting them, is being remanded there as well.

Met outside the Petaling Jaya sessions court, Raja Petra said: “They (prison authorities) received reports that when I entered prison, Azilah and Sirul shouted at me and threatened that something is going to happen to me inside there.”

He said the prison authorities were worried and detailed two police Special Action Unit (UTK) officers to "look after me".

Asked if he met Sirul and Azilah, Raja Petra said: “Ya! We were in the same block, the police block, which had about 18 policemen there all awaiting trial.”

“So anyhow, they saw me and they shouted at me and the prison guards were very worried, and they even shouted at the prison guard."

He claimed the prison guards told him: “So please, get out la, kita tak boleh tidur la (we won’t be able to sleep) because we have to watch out for you.”

Raja Petra added: “The prison authorities spoke to me and asked to allow my wife to bail me out because they say they cannot guarantee my safety in prison.”

He said the Sungai Buloh prison's condition was much better than when he was in solitary confinement under the Internal Security Act. “But of course my home is still better la.”

He claimed that the prisons department said that there were 6,000 prisoners in Sungai Buloh and they cannot guarantee that any one of the 6,000 cannot be bought.

“I asked them what if I have to come back here in October. They said no la, you won’t be coming back here, you’ll go to Kajang if you have to come back in October,” said Raja Petra.

Asked if he was on a hunger strike as earlier reported, Raja Petra said: “I was not on hunger strike. I just refused to eat any food supplied by the prison. Why should I eat the prison food? The prison food is paid for by the rakyat and I don’t think the rakyat’s money is being well spent; so I refused to eat any food and since I can’t get any food from outside, I didn’t eat at all.”

He said he had not eaten since Monday, and the first thing he wanted to do was to eat and drink something because he was dehydrated.

Asked if he would be updating Malaysia-today he replied: “Maybe la, I’ll write another seditious article tomorrow.”

“Of course I’m going to continue. They can only hang you once.”

Bloggers who turned up to throw their support behind Raja Petra also printed 1,000 yellow T-shirts with the words “Justice for All…tantuya” (written in red) in the front together with a black and white picture of Raja Petra.

Raja Petra alighted from the Black Maria which brought him to the Petaling Jaya sessions court at 9.20am to cheers and claps from his friends and fellow bloggers including Haris Ibrahim who was detained for questioning last night during a candlelight vigil at Dataran Merdeka in support of Raja Petra.

Raja Petra’s wife Maria Lee Abdullah, who posted bail yesterday afternoon, was the first to greet him when he walked out of court.