Rape claim: What is MCMC waiting for?

Blogger Ahirudin Attan demands to know why the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has yet to act on the allegations of rape against Information, Communication and Culture Minister Rais Yatim.

This, said Ahirudin, was contrary to MCMC's past actions, when the cyberspace watchdog had acted swiftly when a police report was filed against him.

The rape allegation had spread like wildfire over the Internet since Ahirudin, on Dec 23, posted in his blog Rocky's Bru, hints that a senior cabinet member was alleged to have raped his maid in 2007.

"The allegations in blogs are under the (purview) of MCMC, so they have to investigate," Ahirudin (right) told Malaysiakini when contacted today.

MCMC comes under the control of the Information, Communication and Culture Ministry, helmed by Rais.

Rais, who was accused of the crime, has denied committing the act and insinuated that the claims were part of an "evil political game".

The Jelebu BN MP also added that the allegation was "ill-favoured, malicious and libellous, having been fabricated without any valid legal basis".

Ahirudin, who is also the group editorial adviser of local daily the Malay Mail, stated that the Prime Minister's Department, then under Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had also received reports of the allegations.

He added that his blog post was sourced from the 'diplomatic whispers' revealed by cables on Wikileaks.

It was also said to have been sourced from a report by foreign workers social welfare NGO Migrant Care, which was compiled and sent to the US and the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

Although the blogger had stated that the Indonesia Embassy had received a copy of Migrant Care's report on the rape, the embassy has told Malaysiakini that it was unaware of the report.

"The case is still unclear. The matter is neither solved or closed... it is still a grey situation," said Suryana Sasteradiredja, minister counsellor in charge of information, social and culture.

Thorough investigations

Migrant rights group Tenaganita has also called for a thorough investigation into the rape incident, alleged to have occurred on Feb 19, 2007.

"If there is no investigation it would be double standards because the allegations this time involve a minister who is in charge of the MCMC," added Ahirudin.

Following the blog post two police reports have been lodged urging for the matter to be probed. One is by PAS, and the other by Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM).

"It's not enough that Rais (right) denied committing the rape. Since police reports have been lodged the police are responsible to investigate the matter," said Ahirudin.

He added that Rais should focus on clearing his name rather than attributing the allegation as an attempt to "undermine Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's 1Malaysia concept".

'Rais must apologise'

Meanwhile, PKR Women's wing chief Zuraida Kamaruddin demanded that Rais apologise for accusing the opposition, bloggers and the media of fabricating the incident as a part of a political game.

In a statement today, she said Rais must be suspended until an investigation on the matter is complete.

Zuraida also appealed to the Home Ministry and the prime minister to view the crime seriously and clean up Malaysia's image by bringing the perpetrator to justice.