KUCHING: Sarawak rights activist Peter John Jaban today paid tribute to the late Raja Petra Kamaruddin, better known as RPK, whom he said never minced his words when raising issues of public interest.

Jaban, who had worked with RPK when they were both in the United Kingdom, described him as an "incredibly talented" blogger.

"We had many great years together and shared a lot of laughs and difficult times organising demonstrations to abolish the Internal Security Act (ISA) in London," he said.

Raja Petra, 74, died in Manchester last night following a blood infection to his lungs and later his liver.

Jaban said they were always on the same page during their talk show on Radio Free Malaysia and Radio Free Sarawak.

RPK, he said, was then a great supporter of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who was sacked as deputy prime minister in 1998.

"As we all know, all the things that happened to Anwar in 1998 sparked the reform movement and led some of his supporters to be arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

"Among those arrested was Raja Petra himself, who was one of the nine reformation activists arrested by the police," he said.

Jaban said Raja Petra was the director of the Free Anwar Campaign (FAC) after the start of the reformation movement in 2000 until Anwar's release in 2004.

He said after Anwar, now prime minister, was released from prison in 2004, Raja Petra ended his stint with FAC to devote his full attention to newly-launched Malaysia Today website.

"This is where his career as a political activist in Malaysia began," Jaban said.

He said in the early years of Malaysia Today, Raja Petra's articles were seen as strongly siding with the opposition.

"He even took credit for his involvement in the 2007 Bersih rally, which he said was one of the reasons why the opposition managed to reduce Barisan Nasional's two-thirds majority for the first time since 1969.

"It is with great sadness to note that my former comrade has passed away too soon," Jaban said.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/09/1103893/rpk-never-minced-his-words-issues-public-interest