Wednesday May 7, 2008 MYT 2:11:55 PM

Raja Petra still declines visitors, gets specs (Update)

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamaruddin remains adamant in his refusal to meet anyone, even his wife, who twice attempted to see him at Sungai Buloh prison on Wednesday.

After having failed to meet him on her first visit earlier in the morning, Marina Lee Abdullah tried again at 12.30pm.

But Raja Petra still declined to see his wife, who was accompanied by their 19-year-old daughter and lawyer Matthias Chang.

However, she managed to deliver the spectacles he had requested earlier, via a prison warden.

Marina also believed Raja Petra is refusing meals in prison, besides declining visitors, as he had acted similarly when was detained under the Internal Security Act for three months in 2001.

She said she will try again on Thursday to meet him.

Raja Petra, 58, claimed trial in the Sessions Court on Tuesday to publishing a seditious article on April 25.

He became the first blogger to be charged under the Sedition Act 1948, making it a test case.

He is accused of publishing the article "Let’s send the Altantuya murderers to hell" on the website www.malaysia-today.net.

The article is alleged to have contained nine paragraphs of seditious words.

Sessions Court judge Nurmala Salim set five days from Oct 6 for trial and granted Raja Petra bail of RM5,000.

He declined to post bail and was taken to Sg Buloh prison.