My reply to RPK

For background info, read the following:

http://www.aizuddindanian.com/voi/archives/000667.html
http://www.aizuddindanian.com/voi/archives/000668.html
http://www.jeffooi.com/archives/000703.php
http://www.suaramalaysia.com/archives/000428.html

Firstly, lets analyze the authenticity of the email. Did Raja Petra Kamarudin write it, or was it written by someone impersonating him? These are the facts:

# The Yahoo ID used is "raja_petra", with an email address of raja_petra@yahoo.com - this email address is consistent with the email address to contact the REAL Raja Petra Kamarudin on the Freeanwar website.
# When questioned by Amir, another member of the Artis Pro Activ Yahoo Group, "raja_petra" confirmed that it was indeed an intentional posting. Its important to note at this point that no claim was made towards the "spoof"-ness nature of the original email (msg 7002).
# Up to now, more than 24 hours since msg 7002 was posted, there has yet to be an official denial from the REAL Raja Petra Kamarudin either on the Yahoo Group or on the Freeanwar website.

Based on the facts above, i'm beginning to lean towards the conclusion that this posting is in fact by Raja Petra Kamarudin. Email addresses and Yahoo IDs can be hacked or compromised, but if this was the case, then that same email address would have been retracted from the Freeanwar website as a contact point for RPK, or some sort of denial would be issued by the real RPK by now. The fact that none of these things have yet to happen strongly suggests that the posting is authentic.

Ok, let's begin again, working on the assumption (though evidence points towards its authenticity, 100% certainty is still impossible) that RPK did indeed write the posting. The next question is whether he really believes what he wrote or it is indeed a "spoof" as "raja_petra" claims.

These are the possibilities:

* He really believes what he wrote. Even if we look beyond all the factual inaccuracies of the posting (e.g. "according to the constitution, you are only Malay if your father is Malay"), the posting is clearly rascist, bigoted and truly against the grain of what it means to be Malaysian.

bq. He's caught in his snafu - perhaps he really only wanted to send the email to Hazidi, but accidentally sent it back to the group for public viewing. His private thoughts have been exposed. What can be done as damage control? Claim that the email was intentional, and claim that it was a "spoof". His defence is similar to the one used by Sharon Stone in the movie Basic Instinct - its so obviously outrageous, how could i possibly have said it in earnest? I don't mean it, you've all misunderstood me, its just a joke, a satire - can't you people laugh?

* The posting really was meant to be a spoof, as RPK claims. Let's have a good laugh about how outrageous some of the "Ketuanan Melayu" arguments are and get back to the job of creating a fair and just Malaysia.

Of these two possibilities, its impossible to say with 100% degree of certainty which is true. But i do hope its the second - when in doubt, give the person you do not know the benefit of the doubt.

But if its the first, then not only does RPK have a lot to answer for, but KeAdilan is going to have to do some major spin-doctoring. While its true that RPK does not necessarily speak for the party, his close association with the party will mean that his comments do reflect on the party's philosophy and influence. The saying that we are who we befriend rings true here. If RPK meant, without jest, what he wrote in msg 7002, then Parti KeAdilan Rakyat has got a friend who's just stabbed them in the back.