Dear Pete,

I bring warm greetings from the outside.

How are you? It’s been raining cats these days. I think the skies are letting go all the rain in protest of your detention. By the way, is that pussy still outside your cell door, eyes fixated on you? I know it’s wet these days, especially so in Taiping, being the wettest town in Malaysia. So I hope you are not harassed by that pussy during this wet season?

Sorry I got carried away with the empty chatter. It’s just to humor myself really. You see, today is the hearing of your 2nd habeas corpus. Although I really do not understand what that means, I am hopeful that after the judge has heard your lawyer, Malik Imtiaz Sarwar speak, he will release you. Until now I have not heard any news yet. I was hoping that I could catch a glimpse of you in court (through a photo of you appearing in court in the media). Like a quick fix, I need to be updated with news of you, even just a latest photo of you in the news would suffice. Otherwise, the anxiety symptoms will come on. And it’s coming on now. That’s why I have to pen you this letter.

You see, I keep recalling your words to your wife, Marina; ‘don’t forget me.’ It pains me to hear that coming from you. After all you have done so much for the truth to be revealed. It wasn’t just for yourself, but for me, Ali, Muthu and Ah Kow too. So how can we forget you? If we do, we are ungrateful human beings.

Outside here, a lot has happened since your detention. For a start, there is a birth of a new blog; peng’s thots. But I am not like you, taking the bulls by their horns. I am just taking the bulls by their tails! I am still trying though, to be more courageous. I did not know blogging is such a task, especially when one is keeping up with the lies of you-know-who? Phew! It’s like running a marathon. You expose one, there comes another, by the seconds! How did you do it, Pete? Tongkak Ali? Brand’s essence of chicken? I think we need reinforcement now that you are taking a sabbatical. But no worries, I am getting a lot of support from the veteran gurus. Some good people are taking good care of Malaysia Today. They have put up a section called, ‘Mongolia! Mongolia!’ Now why would they want to do that? Perhaps, it’s visit Mongolia year? And oh, the articles are best lah! You have trained them well. There’s also ‘My Little Scrapbook’ where we discovered that people have a voice and they have conviction too! You must read those entries by ordinary folks, most of them standing up to be heard for the first time. You will be proud of them.

Then, there’s the candle light vigils, the gatherings at court house, the petition,the forums, the ‘I am with RPK’ t-shirts, blog posts.. and quite a number of bald ones around too.

Pete, we still remember you (although as I write this, you have been in detention for 40 days). Remember you sitting in the cell in solitary confinement, reading one book a day (take care of those eyes though, twilight is not good for reading). Remember you eating bread for your meals (because your body reacts strongly to the stale rice they served). Remember you losing weight (due to malnutrition). Remember you having to endure their brain-washing sessions (because they are paranoia). Remember all the truth that you wrote with courage. Remember you are missing your wife and children. WE DO REMEMBER YOU!

I leave you with this poem written by Charlie Daniels;

A brief candle; both ends burning
An endless mile; a bus wheel turning
A friend to share the lonesome times
A handshake and a sip of wine
So say it loud and let it ring
We are all a part of everything
The future, present and the past
Fly on proud bird
You‘re will be free at last.

So, dear Pete, keep yourself well. We are all waiting for you to take up the pen again.

God bless you, Pete.

(Author’s note: This letter will be handwritten and posted to Raja Petra at Kamunting)