Raja Petra Kamarudin
Raja Petra Kamarudin, founder and editor of online news blog Malaysia Today, gives this lecture entitled ‘Beating Malaysian Authoritarianism with People Power: A Blog Activist’s Tale’ at The Australian National University on 2 March 2011 .
RPK (as he’s usually known online) is Malaysia’s most famous online political activist, and a forceful advocate of transparent, accountable government. His website Malaysia Today hosts many allegedly official documents detailing government corruption and scandal. He speaks as chairman of the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM), which is now working towards full representation in Malaysia’s 13th general election.
MCLM wants to revive and re-engage Malaysians disillusioned with an UMNO-dominated federal government and return them to a government that holds fast to the spirit and intent of the Constitution. With the next general elections looming this year, there’s a palpable sense of urgency. MCLM is driven by human rights lawyers and other professionals, political veterans, civil society activists and ordinary citizens with social justice in their sights, targeting a corruption-free, transparent government, free and fair elections and the end to racial politics.
