Malaysia blogger in jail over sedition charges

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - A Malaysian man 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, his lawyer said.

Raja Petra Kamarudin, who runs the independent news website Malaysia Today (www.malaysia-today.net), pleaded not guilty to the charge of publishing a seditious article on his website.

"This is becoming a test case," his lawyer, Karpal Singh, told Reuters. "This is the first time a blogger has been charged with sedition."

Raja Petra is charged with implying in a post on April 25 that Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak and his wife were involved in the 2006 murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu, a 28-year-old Mongolian model.

Najib has denied the allegation through a spokesman, calling it "unfounded" and "designed to tarnish his standing within the Malaysian public".

Karpal said 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.

"He is refusing to go on bail," he added.

If convicted, the 58-year-old Raja Petra could face a fine of 5,000 ringgit, or three years' in jail or both.

Raucous commentary on the Internet has upset the Malaysian government, which is accustomed to respectful treatment by the domestic media on pain of losing their licenses.