Hunter nabbed in Bangkok says Thai cops don't know why they were arresting him

 

"They could barely pronounce the titles of my articles and barely spoke English." - Murray Hunter on the Thai police after they freed him on bail, according to a Malaysia news portal. The Australian,known for harsh criticism of Malaysia after losing his job as a lecturer in Perlis, said he was sueing Malaysia's MCMC for his troubles.

Kuala Lumpur: For a foreigner who has been living in Thailand for years now, one would expect Murray Hunter to know that English isn't the preferred language of Thais. Or, one may expect him to have picked up some Thai, even. 

But no, he had to put someone down for his predicament. Like always.

" I do not think the Thai police even understand why they were arresting me and only told me that I was charged with defamation.

“They could barely pronounce the titles of my articles in English and barely spoke English and repeatedly told me that I had been arrested for defamation,” he told the Vibes after the cops had freed him.

Some of you may detect a condescending tone there but I believe, even though I don't know the guy personally, that that is who and how Hunter is. The Australian, who had been happily bashing Malaysia from his holiday home in Thailand, has just been served notice - legal notice - that he is not special, after all, and that - like you and me and everybody else - he can and will be held accountable for what he writes online.

If the law finds that what he has written are lies and defamatory, he will pay for his crime. 

But if he has done nothing wrong, I'm sure the Thai laws will protect him.

My advice to Hunter, don't insist that the judge presiding your case understand English. Just make sure your lawyer understands Thai. 

Hunter was detained by the Thai immigration authorities at the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok on Monday as he was about to leave the country for Hong Kong. He is being's charged under Section 328 of the Thai Criminal Code with defamation, where four of his Substack articles were quoted as defamatory material.

He told the Vibes' reporter that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) was behind his arrest (he may have insinuated that the Malaysian body can tell the Thai authorities what to do, pls search for the Vibes' article and see if he wasn't) and has promised to sue.

 I'm sure the people at MCMC are pissing in their pants at this Farang's threat.

But is it a great gig for everyone?

Gig Workers Bill 2025: a rush to regulate, but are all sectors ready? Rocky Bru

As Malaysia's proposed Gig Workers Bill aims to protect gig economy workers, concerns about its potential impact on smaller businesses and media outlets raise questions If the Bill is flexible enough to accommodate the diverse needs of all sectors involved

Reading one newspaper's coverage of the proposed Malaysian Gig Workers Bill 2025, which aims to regulate the gig economy and safeguard the rights of gig workers, I realised that not one person or group interviewed had anything critical to say about it.

Not one. And to me, that is a red flag.

It’s as red a flag as when nobody in Sarawak dared to question their state government's insistence on prioritising Petros over Petronas, thereby jeopardising the larger interests of the nation.

A weak opposition, as we all know, undermines the very spirit of democracy. Zero dissent, especially the failure of the media to criticise and question, is far worse.

The spirit of the proposed Gig Workers Bill, in all fairness, is noble. It aims to safeguard Malaysia's gig workers — all 1.2 million of them, according to the compliant newspaper.

But the gig economy is vast and diverse. It does not just involve workers like Grab or Lalamove riders, those in the music and creative industries, or freelancers and temporary workers in the media. It involves employers as well. Smaller companies need protection against larger ones, but the additional compliance costs resulting from the Bill could force many, especially in rural areas, to lose out unless the government offers generous incentives.

The larger platforms like Grab, Lalamove, and Foodpanda have their own concerns about the proposed Bill as well.

I believe it is essential that the Bill be carefully considered and tailored to address the unique realities of different sectors within the gig economy.

While the Bill seems primarily focused on e-hailing and p-hailing workers, its implications will extend beyond these sectors — particularly to industries such as news media, which also rely heavily on gig-based contributions.

This brings us back to the compliant newspaper that failed to raise any critical points, or perhaps was paid to downplay the potential issues.

The media industry is already facing significant financial challenges, amidst declining revenues and structural shifts. Should the Bill come into force in its current form, it could unintentionally place an added burden on news organisations.

Although Human Resources Minister Steven Sim has assured that companies will not be required to make SOCSO contributions, the proposed minimum standard fees, regulatory approvals for incentives, and potential minimum wage standards are cause for concern regarding the sustainability of the media industry.

Specifically, the requirement for minimum standard fees for freelance contributors or stringers — while well-intentioned — may prove unsustainable for media outlets operating on tight budgets.

Let’s not rush the Bill; there’s no shame in holding off until all aspects of the industry are properly considered.

I urge policymakers to engage in broader consultations with all affected industries, including media stakeholders, to ensure that the Bill is equitable, practical, and adaptable across different gig sectors.

A one-size-fits-all approach may unintentionally harm the very industries that depend on flexibility to survive. - August 28

Why we’ve been told time and again NOT to speculate when police investigation is ongoing, YB Rafizi

Sat 16 Aug: The attack on newly-dethroned PKR No 2 Rafizi Ramli’s wife and little boy must have sent chills down everyone’s spine. No matter how much you loathe his disparaging mouth, such act of terror must be condemned and never, ever tolerated. The cops must go all out to nab the people responsible for this frightening incident.

In the meantime, members of the public shouldn’t speculate. Right?

That’s what we’re always told by the police, the politicians, at times even by the kings whenever something bad like this happens. If we allow society to speculate, especially on the social media, bad things quickly become worse. Take the case of Zara Qairana, Because someone said he or she believed that Zara was a victim of a cover-up and that one of the bullies responsible for her death was the son of a VIP, people are crying for blood and politicians are turning it into a circus. 

That is why the authorities are right to threaten members of the public with police action against anyone who spreads rumours, especially while police investigation is still ongoing.

The case of the attack on Rafizi’s son is unique, in this context. Becauase the one responsible for starting the rumours about the attack was none other than Rafizi himself.

Former Economy Minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli has revealed that a threatening message was sent to his wife following the assault on their 12-year-old son yesterday. - Bernama file pic, August 14, 2025

NEWS

Rafizi links son’s attack to financial scandal, calls it attempt to silence him

Former economy minister believes the assault was an attempt to muzzle him after he met whistleblowers last week 

KUALA LUMPUR – Former Economy Minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli has revealed that a threatening message was sent to his wife following the assault on their 12-year-old son yesterday. The message, received at around 1am today, warned of an AIDS infection if the family continued with their actions. The Pandan MP believes the assault, which took place at a shopping mall in Putrajaya, is connected to his ongoing investigation into a financial scandal.

Rafizi revealed that after the attack, a threatening message was sent to his wife, warning that their family would face consequences if they continued their actions. “The message said ‘keep quiet, if you continue, AIDS,’ followed by a syringe emoji,” he said during a press conference in Parliament today. (No police report yet on threat to wife, says police).

The incident unfolded when two men on a motorcycle followed the car carrying Rafizi’s wife and son. 
As they were entering the vehicle, one of the men allegedly dragged the child and injected him with a syringe.

Rafizi believes the attack was a warning related to a scandal he has been investigating, information he received from whistleblowers the previous week. “I’ve been looking into something, and this attack feels like a message to stop me from pursuing it further. I suspect that those involved know that when I start digging, I go deep. They want me to ‘move on’ and not investigate this matter further.” 

Read more HERE

Because of Rafizi’s “belief”, our online community has spiralled to a speculating orgy. A lot of Malaysians now believe that a certain individual or group of individuals, preferably linked to a certain leader, must have been behind the attack on Rafizi’s boy and the AIDs threat to his wife. 

One only needs to Google the keywords Rafizi has given during the press conference to start getting excited. I did just that and found this:

That’s what happens when one speculate. Tak pasal-pasal, the individual Farash dibabitkan. And when Farhash’s; name comes up, some people think or want to believe that PMX Anwar Ibrahim is behind it. Did Rafizi intend for this outcome? Some people believe so.

Well, I believe the attack on Rafizi’s wife and son was carried out by godless people. I believe they were ordered by the Malaysian business mafia that Rafizi may or may not have offended. Most of all, I believe we should allow the police to investigate the incident without fear or favour.

Of Rafizi vs Farhash, my friend the NUKE MAN has this to add on his Facebook:

FARHASH wafa Salvador, is familiar with Anwar Ibrahim, and Malaysians are familiar on that matter.

BEING, familiar does not equate to corruption, which is one of the reasons the late Daim Zainuddin, was never seen as a lackey, but as a man with a good insight in business.

UNLIKE, Daim Zainuddin though, Farhash Wafa Salvador has no official say in banking mergers, in killing off debts and acquiring assets at a song.

HE is no Mirzan Mahathir, bailed out by his father's Government with PERTRONAS for Konsortium Perkapalan nor Mokhzani Mahathir, whoes trades and disclosures in Pantai, was against the law, but got away without even a rebuke.

BUT yet, people are treating his name as a leper, the symbol of corruption? Farhash Wafa Salvador didn't even get cheap credit to acquire and dispose assets, yet people say he is the symbol of what's wrong with Malaysia.

WHY is that so? It is because, politicians such as Rafizi Ramli and his business partner, the Subang member of Parliament, Wong Chen have trained the public ; that they are clean, and who ever they say is dirty, as the scum of hell in them.

NO one calls, Rafizi Ramli, unprincipled, after after rubbishing the ECRL project, by frightening Malaysia in 2018, with the ECRL money we can build 30 KLCC.

ONLY to sit as a church mouse , silently a year ago, on the developing a master plan to boost the ECRL.

IT'S all about the money folks. Rafizi Ramli has realised too late in the game, that Anwar Ibrahim only needs to win 25 per cent of the Malay vote to get a two thirds mandate at GE16, to remain Prime Minister.

RAFIZI Ramli had miscalculated …

Check out his Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564239721862