According to Aljazeera, the High Court in the state of Selangor, ruled that Raja Petra was detained illegally by the Malaysian authorities, with The Security Minister acting beyond his powers by having him detained under the Internal Security Act.  He was due to be formally released after being produced in court later today, Friday.

While this is a good thing Raja also faces another sedition charge in relation to a case filed against him over a story linking the Deputy Prime Minister with the killing and disappearance of a ladyin October 2006.

Online commentator Raja Petra Raja Kamarudin, known for his anti-government views, was already in police custody and was served a detention order Monday night, said his lawyer Malik Imtiaz Sarwar.

The order was signed by Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar, who has said Raja Petra’s writings pose a threat to national security by creating racial tension.

Raja Petra has increasingly infuriated authorities by publishing numerous claims about alleged wrongdoings by government leaders on his popular site, Malaysia Today, which serves as his blog as well as a news portal. The government has denounced most of Raja Petra’s allegations as lies.

The laws under which Raja was arrested give the authorities the option of renewing the prison term once that initial two years is over.

We were a little optimistic that the Malaysia Cabinet decision to rescind the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to block Malaysia Today and all other blocked sites was a step in the right direction but the arrest of Raja Petra Kamaruddin now under the country’s tough internal security act (ISA), this is on top of the sedition and defamation charges he is facing.

According to Committee to Protect Journalists, blogger and human rights lawyer, Harris Ibrahim was also arrested for posting about Raja’s arrest.

ZDNet Asia writes

The opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP) condemned the arrest of Raja Petra and said the move “smacks of desperation” by the BN government.

Tony Pua, opposition member of parliament and economic advisor to the DAP secretary-general, said: “The government is flip-flopping and is seen as a headless chicken. They realized they did a stupid thing by banning Malaysia Today, and now they are compounding it by trying to ‘neutralize’ Raja Petra under the ISA.”

Pua reckoned that the action Raja Petra signaled the start of a crackdown not only on bloggers and Web site operators, but also on those deemed a threat to the ruling elite.

This has raised ire with Malaysia’s bloggers and opposition and we hope that the government realises it folly and ceases fighting its political wars on the internet and arresting critics.

We are monitoring this situation and we’ll give more updates as we get them.

Sedition is a favorite “law” to levy against bloggers by both Malaysia and its neighbor, Singapore. In Malaysia on Wednesday, blogger “Penarik Beca,” or Abu Bakar Mohd Rashid, joined American-Malaysian Raja Petra Kamarudin, in being charged with sedition. Bakaq was arrested Wednesday and his computer and cellular phone seized.

Hard-T has more details.

“Abu Bakar in his blog had published an article which showed a modified logo of the Royal Malaysia Police with derogatory comments about Musa including claims that Musa was being controlled by Chinese crime syndicates,” Sanjos told Bernama here today.

The blogger was being detained at the Dang Wangi police station lock-up and would be released tomorrow, he added.

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According to Reuters, Blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin, publisher of Malaysia Today, has “opted to go to jail on Tuesday instead of paying bail after he was accused of sedition for implying the country’s deputy premier had a hand in the murder of a Mongolian woman.”

Raja Petra refused the court’s offer of bail of 5,000 ringgit (806 pounds) until October 6, when the case is scheduled to resume, saying it was a matter of principle.

CPB has a note into Mr. Kamarudin requesting a comment on his decision.