KUALA LUMPUR: Former PKR vice-president Tian Chua has shared his reflections on the life and legacy of blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin, who died recently, calling him an "icon of an era" in Malaysian politics.
"I was quite shocked when I heard the news. I hadn't met him in years since he moved to the United Kingdom.
"We hardly had the opportunity to communicate after that, except during a trip I made to London years ago," he told the 'New Straits Times'.
Tian Chua and Raja Petra's connection dates back to the early days of Reformasi when the digital revolution was just beginning to shape Malaysian politics.
"He was an icon at the time when we started embracing the Internet and social media as political tools," said Tian Chua, referring to Raja Petra's prolific presence online.
"He was one of the pioneers. Back then, we didn't have the advancement of information technology, but as it grew, so did his influence."
Chua recalled their shared experiences, including their arrest under the Internal Security Act (ISA) in 2001.
"We were detained together during Reformasi. We didn't share the same cell, but we were held in adjacent cells.
"We weren't allowed to speak to each other during detainment.
"I couldn't see him, but when I walked by and the door was slightly open, I'd catch a glimpse of him."
He reminisced further about the early days of their activism when they both played distinct roles in the formation of PKR.
"I was more on the action side (campaigning outdoors), while he handled the social media and propaganda.
"We got into trouble together many times because we were both very vocal.
"We didn't always agree (on something), of course. Sometimes we'd argue, but that was part of our relationship.
"He was critical of PKR at times, and very vocal about it. But we respected each other because, in the end, we both believed deeply in what we were doing."
Chua also touched on Raja Petra's, or RPK, polarising nature.
"He was always unpredictable, changing sides frequently, but he never failed to stay visible. One day he was attacking one party, the next he was defending another.
"He could be ultra-liberal in one article and then sound conservative in the next. His political stance shifted. But the point is what he did in keeping the discussions alive.
"He could be a fierce critic of (Prime Minister Datuk Seri) Anwar Ibrahim one day and a supporter the next.
"He could praise (Datuk Seri ) Najib Razak and then attack him over the 1MDB scandal. People often tried to figure out which side he was on, but that was never the point. The man created debate for the sake of debate."
Despite the inconsistency, Chua said, Raja Petra's voice on the online platform was undeniably loud and clear.
"He was a central figure in this era of new media, and his presence was impossible to ignore. Even when his views shifted, his voice was always there, loud and clear.
"Raja Petra made sure you couldn't ignore him, and that's why he'll be remembered."