Investigations shall prevail the truth

The blog posting about “Wikileaks: A senior politician and his maid” and another blog’s subsequent posting demanding aninvestigation based on an NGO report about the rape really hits it of. Rumours lurk in most SOPO cybersphere addict about who the ‘VVIP’ is even though these blog postings were silent about the identity of ‘accused’. Confirmation of the identity is when a Rembau PKR-parliamentary-seat-loser (or the-bloke-who-dared-to-take-on-the-SIL, depending how you look at it) Badrul Hisham “Chegu Bard” Shaharin lodged a Police report.

The name Dato’ Seri Utama Dr Rais Yatim Ph.D. now becomes the hottest controversial topic and scandalous rumour about a VVIP with a Ministerial rank in the first decade of the third millennium.

Of course, Dr Rais vehemently denied it. Then pro-UMNO blogs started to post reports on their interview with the man himself and the video recording of another serving maid in the Rais Yatim’s household, who personally knew and served alongside the alleged victim, an Indonesian national by the name of Robengah.

Yesterday when the media caught up with the Prime Minister, Dato’ Seri Mohd. Najib Tun Razak’s response on the matter was all for an investigation:

Saturday January 8, 2011

Najib: Don’t pre-judge in rape allegations

PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has urged the people not to pre-judge the allegations of rape made against Information, Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim.

The PM said everyone should let the due process take its course because Rais had expressed his willingness to be investigated.

“We cannot pre-judge and pronounce anything,” he told reporters.

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The same day, an Indonesian news portal Detiknews.com also published a story about the woman Rubingah or Robengah claiming that “Rais was a good employer. He treated me well and gave me gifts. If there is any news report about him ‘raping’ me is not true”. This report basically exonerated Rais’s position being perceived and harped on by the Oppositions as a ‘rapist’.

Good and well. Relieved for many. Especially within pro-UMNO bloggers’ circle who are ‘trapped’ in this dilemma. PRK Tenang is coming just around the corner. BN should use this to dispel all the PAS’s campaign about “An UMNO Minister is a rapist”.

Never the less, a mere three hours later the same news portal published another story that Rubingah or Robengah wanted to be left alone and refused that Migrant Care to harp on the case any longer, despite that admitting that there was a report filed back in 2007 about the alleged rape.

We also received a report about the Republic of Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur did receive a report about the allege rape back in 2007. An embassy official name Tatang Razak admitted receiving the report.

Isu Perkosaan Menteri Malaysia Tidak Diadukan


» Dokumen dugaan menteri Malaysia perkosa TKWRenne R.A Kawilarang, Denny Armandhanu | Jum’at, 7 Januari 2011, 13:56 WIB 

VIVAnews – Kedutaan Besar Republik Indonesia (KBRI) di Kuala Lumpur pernah menerima laporan perkosaan, yang diduga dilakukan seorang menteri Malaysia terhadap seorang tenaga kerja wanita (TKW), dari LSM Migrant Care. Namun, setelah memperhatikan permintaan korban, baik KBRI dan Migrant Care sepakat untuk tidak mengadukan kasus itu ke aparat berwenang.

Demikian ungkap mantan pejabat KBRI Kuala Lumpur, Tatang Razak. Saat memimpin Satuan Tugas Pelayanan dan Perlindungan WNI di KBRI Kuala Lumpur pada 2007, Tatang mengaku menerima sendiri laporan itu.

Laporan Migrant Care kepada KBRI itu, lanjut Tatang, berasal dari pengakuan adik korban bahwa kakaknya, yang berinisial Rb, menjadi korban perkosaan. Laporan yang diterima kemudian ditindaklanjuti dengan meminta keterangan langsung dari yang bersangkutan. Namun, korban akhirnya mengatakan tidak ingin melaporkan hal tersebut ke kepolisian Malaysia.

“Korban tidak mau melaporkannya. Akhirnya, kita (KBRI) sepakat dengan Migrant Care, kasus ini tidak bisa diproses lebih lanjut karena proses hukum mesti ada delik aduan dari yang bersangkutan,” ujar Tatang, yang sejak akhir 2010 dipanggil ke Jakarta untuk menjadi Direktur Perlindungan WNI dan Badan Hukum Indonesia di Kementrian Luar Negeri (Kemlu).

Dia mengatakan, situasi akan menjadi lain kalau saja korban mau menindaklanjutinya dengan melapor ke kepolisian setempat. KBRI, ujar Tatang, pasti akan menangani proses kasus dan pembelaan korban dengan berbagai upaya jika aduan telah dilayangkan.

“Tapi, sekarang, orangnya [korban] sudah di Indonesia, tidak mengadukan. Jika ada pengaduan, kalau menyangkut perlindungan WNI, maka itu menjadi tugas kita,” ujar Tatang.

Menurut laporan adik korban, kasus perkosaan ini diduga terjadi saat Rb bekerja di rumah keluarga seorang menteri bergelar Datuk Seri pada 2007. Sejumlah media alternatif dan blog di Malaysia, seperti Sentinel Asia, Free Malaysia Today, dan blog Rocky Bru menyebut nama Menteri Informasi, Komunikasi, dan Kebudayaan Rais Yatim pernah memperkosa pembantunya yang asal Indonesia empat tahun lalu.

Rais telah membantah tudingan itu pada 5 Januari lalu. Dia menyatakan tudingan itu sebagai fitnah untuk menghancurkan reputasinya dan menyatakan siap bekerja sama bila ada penyelidikan dari pihak berwenang.

Kasus itu juga diungkap laman Harakah Daily, yang memberitakan bocoran data dari WikiLeaks. WikiLeaks dikabarkan mengacu pada blog Rocky Bru, blogger Malaysia yang juga mantan Pemimpin Redaksi The Malaysia Mail.

Dalam blog Rocky Bru, muncul tautan (link) suatu dokumen mengenai dugaan perkosaan atas seorang pembantu Indonesia, berinisial Rb. Dokumen itu mencantumkan laporan investigasi lembaga pembela hak-hak pekerja asal Indonesia, Migrant Care.

Tatang mengatakan bahwa laporan dari adik korban tersebut tidak bisa dijadikan acuan dalam pengajuan perkara. “Orang bisa ngomong apa saja. Namun yang melapor harus yang bersangkutan,” ujar Tatang. (sj)

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These are the facts. Since there are already Police reports made, then a thorough investigation should follow suit and be completed. No stones such be unturned. We checked that before the reports filed in Jelebu and Seremban recently, the Royal Malaysian Police never received any such report.

It is not our intention to ‘kill’ our own party leaders. But these are very serious allegations. PM Dato’ Seri Najib cannot afford having a member of his Cabinet be implicated in such scandalous criminal act, even eventually it could be proven that Dr Rais was innocent all along.

Interesting points that we observed so far:

1. These reports so far demonstrated that Migrant Care did file the report and the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur is well aware of this ‘allege rape’. Did Migrant Care make the report up?
2. If Migrant Care did file the report, then why Rubingah or Robengah refused investigations?
3. Were Rubingah or Robengah and/or any of her family members ‘paid of’ to keep silent, if and when this case were to crop up again? If so, by who?
4. Dr Rais was very reactive when Rocky posted the “Santa Rais” story and between the threat to lodge a Police report and the actual report lodged, it was within 24 hours. Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission was also lightning speed in their investigations on Rocky and his ‘Ferrari’ and modem were confiscated from his home in Puchong, less than 24 hours from the Police report. It is not in this case now. Why has the authorities suddenly become sluggish?
5. Dr Rais used the phrases “This is all about pride” and “Berani kerana benar” whenever media asked him to comment on the Santa Rais issue. His Penerangan boys lurk all over the blogs with the same theme. Hence his sheer determination to take immediate action, which include abusing the agencies serving under him. That includes his son Dino Rais suing The Malay Mail and NST for reporting a case between Numix Engineering Sdn. Bhd. and Magic Telecoms Sdn. Bhd., which Dino’s name appeared in the affitdavit. However, this ‘allege rape’ is much bigger and more severe compared to the “Santa Rais” issue. So how come Dr Rais is very mellow this time around?
6. What happened to the ‘This is all about pride” and “Berani kerana benar” battle cry we heard exactly two-and-half months ago?
7. UMNO-friendly mainstream media practitioners told us that the ‘rape allegations’ on Dr Rais first surfaced during the 12th General Elections in Jelebu. Then again during the late 2008 party elections campaign. So if UMNO members already were spreading news about this, then we bloggers were actually ‘Johny-came-lately’ on the issue

Let us watch what develops. Cybersphere has now become a very intriguing and mysterious digital dimension. This thing ‘Wikileaks’, is such a very dangerous new phrase when its expose’s are having far reaching consequences and humiliation.

*Updated Sunday 9 January 2011

Jakarta Globe reported that there was a report about a woman name Rubingah being raped by her employer back in 2007.  The report also stated that Migrant Care initially did not want to make this public but since Wikileaks blew the story wide open, they decided to re-surface the issue into public domain.

Report of Indonesian Migrant Worker Raped in Malaysia Denied
January 07, 2011

Cipanas, West Java. Jumhur Hidayat, head of the National Migrant Workers Placement and Protection Agency (BNP2TKI) has refuted a recent report that an Indonesian housemaid was raped by a minister in Malaysia.

“There is written confirmation from Mrs. Rubingah (the migrant worker) herself that she had never been raped while working in Malaysia,” Jumhur said Friday on the sidelines of a BNP2TKI national working meeting here January 5-7, 2011.

A staffer of the agency’s Semarang office , AB Rachman, had met Rubingah at her home in Pagelak village, Madukara sub district, Banjarnegara District, Central Java, and obtained her statement in writing.

“I have reported Mrs. Rubingah’s explanation to Mr. Muhaimin (manpower and transmigration minister),” Jumhur said.

Jumhur urged all parties to be careful and make a check and recheck effort to confirm it because it concerned somebody’s integrity.

Rubingah reportedly said that he had worked in a Malaysian minister’s house in Negeri Sembilan for eight years since 1999.

“It was a fine workplace, no rape ever happened,” she said as quoted by AB Rachman.

On the other hand, the director of Indonesian nongovernmental organization Migrant Care, Anis Hidayah told the Jakarta Globe that Rubingah had filed a rape report in 2007.

“Rubingah told us that she was raped, but we did not want to publicize our investigation. However, we decided to open it because it was released by WikiLeaks,” Anis said, refusing to detail the case.

“We are not in the position to claim whether the rape allegation was true or not and I don’t want to oppose BNP2TKI statement,” she said. “But she reported it to us in 2007.”