Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim,...if the Malaysian Government wants to initiate or criminally prosecute anyone for crimes against the Malaysian government or its entities, it must do so in Malaysia in accordance to Malaysian Law, and the Malaysian administration of criminal justice NOT in some other country...
When Malaysia decided on not criminally prosecute - is it not ABSURD for a Malaysian GOVERNMENT commission to criminally prosecute in some other countries, based on some other countries LAWS - not Malaysian laws?
Malaysia Must Withdraw Government SLAPP action against HRD Murray Hunter in Thailand’s Criminal Court (44 Groups)
It is SHAMEFUL when MCMC continues to allow Criminal Trial in Thailand(Not Malaysia) against Murray Hunter to proceed...
WORSE - the Malaysian law enforcement/public prosecutor DECIDED NOT to charge Murray Hunter for criminal defamation or any times after MCMC filed a police report... Hence, the fact that Thailand INDICTED Murray is evidence of the DIFFERENCE between Malaysia and Thailand when it comes to charging someone like Murray for a crime in court..
So, will Anwar Ibrahim ALLOW this act of ignoring the SOVEREIGNITY of Malaysia and its LAWS be disrespected and ignored ...
Malaysia should only enforce Malaysian Laws - thus, if someone commits a crime in breach of Malaysian laws, then law enforcement should be done in MALAYSIA not in Thailand or any other country more so when the alleged victim of the crime is the Malaysian Government - in this case, where the alleged victim is a Malaysian government statutory body like the MCMC.
Other countries have DIFFERENT laws and crimes, and court processes.
SOVEREIGNTY - Malaysia should only take criminal action against those that breached existing Malaysian Laws - and the prosecution also must be in accordance to Malaysian laws, and the TRIAL must also be in accordance to Malaysian laws. Malaysia cannot and should never commence criminal action against those who broke Thai Laws or some other country's laws. It is EMBARRASSING...
Art 7 Malaysian Federal Constitution - Protection against retrospective criminal laws and repeated trials
(1) No person shall be punished for an act or omission which was not punishable by law when it was done or made, and no person shall suffer greater punishment for an offence than was prescribed by law at the time it was committed.
The Malaysian Federal Constitution is CLEAR - we are talking about LAW in Malaysia - not laws in Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand or any other country...
So, is it UNCONSTITUTIONAL for Malaysia to even file a criminal complaint in Thailand, and then allow the criminal trial in Thailand to proceed? Is the laws on 'Criminal Defamation' in Thailand the same as in Malaysia - is the court process and the evidence requirement in Thailand the same in Malaysia? Most likely not - as the whole system is VERY DIFFERENT - Malaysia. a commonwealth country, follows the common law - which is very different from Thailand.
Does the MCMC have the power to commence/initiate a criminal action in Malaysia, Thailand or in any other country for crimes against MCMC?
The law only gives the MCMC the power with regard to CIVIL SUITS, not Criminal Actions in a FOREIGN Country... Section 4(3) MALAYSIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MULTIMEDIA COMMISSION ACT 1998 'The Commission may sue and be sued in its corporate name.'
It is clear that this is LIMITED to Civil Suits, and does not include CRIMINAL ACTION...
Can MCMC make a criminal police report in another country, other than Malaysia - there seems to be no provision in law saying that it can do this...
A government should respond to ALLEGATIONS - so any inaccuracies or rather false perception could be corrected. # In this case, has MCMC, the Minister or the PM even done so yet.
Government should not 'go after with a vengeance' all who dare to raise allegations of wrongdoings
When did MCMC made a decision to file criminal police reports against Murray Hunter in Malaysia and Thailand, and commence a CIVIL Suit against Murray Hunter - WHO DECIDES? According to the Act, decision making of MCMC is by the Commission, where the decision is by simple majority...So, when did MCMC decide to file a criminal complaint against Murray Hunter in Thailand - Where is the Minutes that proves it was the MCMC that made this decision - and not just the Chairperson and/or the Minister?
Did the Minister approve this? Did the Minister and/or the PM approve a Malaysian government body taking action OUTSIDE Malaysia - using some other country's laws - not Malaysian laws?
## In some disputes between private entities, there is usually a prior agreement, that the applicable law will be MALAYSIAN even if the dispute is dealt with by courts/tribunals in other countries? Which law is RELEVANT - alleged crime against a Malaysian government commission - is it even right to take action based on Thai law - not Malaysian laws?
Who filed the criminal complaint in Thailand for and on behalf of MCMC? Could such a decision be made without the consent of the Minister and/or the Prime Minister of Malaysia? If YES, it means that any government Commission, Agency, Entity, Ministry, Department can ACT on its own, without the requirement of any CONSENT by the Minister responsible, and/or the Prime Minister
Was the individual who made the report on behalf of MCMC have the authority to do so. Did MCMC delegate such power to the said person/officer to do so?
Is PM Anwar Ibrahim and his Minister going to allow this UNCONSTITUTIONAL Act, disrespecting Malaysian sovereignty and administration of criminal justice to continue. If MCMC withdraws its criminal report and states that Malaysia does not want Thai Courts to proceed with this case - then the case will be dropped.
If this criminal case were to continue, it will be based on Thai Law not on Malaysian Law, and will be in Thai Language...
A perusal of the charges is educational ...
Article 1: “The 3Rs are an Instrument of Tyranny for Malaysia” (13 April 2024) [4]
“Behind the PDRM is the MCMC, under the chair of TS Salim Fateh Din, which is illegally blocking hundreds of websites of those they deem critics of the government. The MCMC is working with social media platforms to pull down material the establishment doesn’t agree with.”
“The MCMC, under Salim’s stewardship is also blocking critics of his own company MRCB, a clear conflict of interest and abuse of power. This is what happens when politically partisan people are put in charge of law enforcement agencies.”
“The approach taken by the PDRM-MCMC-JAKIM is using the 3Rs as a tool of suppression of freedom of speech is a selective manner is tyranny. This is also destroying the racial harmony of the nation.”
Article 2: “MCMC ordered by the High Court to produce police instruction to block weechookeong.com” (19 April 2024) [5]
“MCMC is subverting democracy, and covering up whistleblowers who are have genuine intentions in exposing corruption. The MCMC cannot become a private cyber police force, in the interests of individuals, rather than the national interest.”
“Too much evidence is building up of complicity and conspiracy between the MCMC and police for the benefit of protecting individual interests.”
Article 3: “MCMC is out of Control” (25 April 2024) [6]
“These raids on citizens homes are a form of intimidation to support ‘ketuanan’ chauvinists and cover up the exposure of corruption. MCMC is clearly entering the political arena and claiming to the be the sole arbitrator of the truth. There is little proper legal process going on leaving the victims of MCMC actions without any legal remedy to these home invasions.”
“UMNO stalwart Salim Fateh Din, who is chairman of the MCMC is using the agency for political purposes. Salim is building up a political gestapo without any checks and balances to restrain it from going overboard. The MCMC has become an extra-judicial para police force to intimidate citizens and cover up issues of corruption.”
Article 4: “Chegubard’s arrest and charging is a warning to all Malaysians” (29 April 2024) [7]
“
Likewise the MCMC is under the control of an UMNO warlord and corporate mogul. The MCMC is acting far beyond its statutory powers in self interest. Together, the PDRM and MCMC are now a massive authoritarian ‘thought police’ intimidating and terrorizing the community. The authorities are flaunting the constitution.”
It is important that PM Anwar Ibrahim and the Malaysian government be aware that this case has gained INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION - it is seen as a TRANSNATIONAL SLAPP action by Malaysian government - USING Thailand's Criminal Courts, Thailand's Criminal Laws,....
Is it NOT RIGHT for the Malaysian government to just use only Malaysian Laws especially for CRIMINAL prosecution...?
Another MAJOR SCANDAL affecting PM Anwar Ibrahim? PM cannot later come out and say he did not know - or that Malaysian Government Commissions is FREE to act on its own - without government approval?
FCCT STATEMENT ON THE INDICTMENT OF MURRAY HUNTER
His prosecution highlights the ease with which Thailand’s criminal defamation can be misused. The way the law operates is a serious threat to freedom of expression.
The MCMC has filed a civil defamation case against Mr. Hunter in Malaysia, but only filed a criminal case here in Thailand, where it is very unlikely that his blogs on the MCMC, written in English, would have been widely read. As a result, he has had his passport confiscated and been required to post bail while the case is pending. His trial is dues to start on 21 December.
Those convicted of violating the criminal defamation law face up to two years in jail, and they must go through trials sometimes lasting years, during which time they must cover all their legal costs and cannot leave the country. The bar for taking criminal defamation cases to trial is very low. Even if the published content over which the complaint has been filed can be shown to be accurate and fair, that is not sufficient to ensure an acquittal. It is rare for a Thai judge to dismiss a defamation complaint, and Thai courts are tied up with thousands of ongoing trials for often frivolous charges.
The charges against Murray Hunter should be dropped, and he should be released immediately.
19 November 2025 - FCCT Website
Australian Blogger Charged in Thai Court for Defaming Malaysian Government
Case awakens fears of transnational repression
A Bangkok criminal court has indicted Australian gadfly journalist Murray Hunter on an unprecedented criminal defamation charge brought at the behest of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), which Hunter has attacked in critical reports in his Substack blog for months.
The case has aroused deep concern over transnational repression of the press and international human rights organizations based in Thailand that report critically on surrounding countries, particularly Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar.
While Thailand has long engaged in transnational repression and a “swap mart” system in which it cooperates with neighboring countries to take action against bot
h foreign dissidents on Thai soil and Thai critics living abroad, it has never been used against journalists before.
Hunter, a lone blogger who for several years has launched unrelenting criticism of the Malaysian government from his perch in the Thai border city of Hatyai in his Substack blog, was freed on THB20,000 (US$616) bail but faces a criminal defamation trial on December 21 in a case that could put him behind bars for two years with a fine of THB200,000. His passport was confiscated by Thai police.
The Thai case apparently stems from an October 16 ruling in Malaysia for civil defamation of the MCMC – without his knowledge, he says – in a High Court in the Kuala Lumpur suburb of Shah Alam. The case is doubly extraordinary because although Hunter was charged with criminal defamation in Thailand, Malaysia has no criminal defamation statute. The MCMC blocked his blog, carried on Substack, three years ago.
“Thai authorities should drop the criminal defamation charges against Murray Hunter and restore his travel documents immediately,” said Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative. “Thai courts and laws shouldn’t be used to threaten and try journalists who report critically on government agencies in other countries. The case should be thrown out on jurisdiction issues alone.”
Although international journalists have long used Thailand as a regional base for critical reporting throughout Southeast Asia, as far as can be determined, this is the first time one has been charged. Major news organizations and human rights NGOs have reported critically on repression in Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar, which is locked in a bloody five-year civil war with rebels seeking a return to democracy.
While Malaysia has long been regarded as one of the freest states in the region, under the current government, blogs have been summarily shut down and journalists have been threatened by government officials. “Don’t get upset with me if there is a call or a radio car outside of your house. We are monitoring, behave yourself,” Fahmi Fadzil, the minister of Communications, famously told reporters in 2023. Asia Sentinel has been repeatedly blocked over the years for reporting critically on Malaysian politics and scandals although Fahmi denied it personally in an email.
“Malaysia is engaged in a blatant transnational repression by going after Murray Hunter with a criminal defamation charge, and sadly, the Thai police and prosecutors either don’t know or don’t care that they are being played for fools by the Malaysian MCMC and government,” said Phil Robertson, director of Asia Human Rights & Labor Advocates. “Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs needs to wake up, recognize that Thailand’s reputation for media freedom will be taking a serious hit for defending Malaysia’s dirty laundry in a case that has nothing to do at all with Thailand, and intervene with prosecutors to stop this travesty of justice from moving forward.”
Journalists and media workers “are increasingly targeted by governments who wish to stifle critical voices and the reporting of facts, and silence freedom of expression even beyond their borders,” according to an earlier statement by the Media Freedom Coalition of 50 member states. “Journalists are deterred from reporting inconvenient truths even if they are not taking a specific stance. This trend poses a significant threat not only to journalists, media workers and their families, but also to the fundamental principles of democracy, good governance and human rights.”
Hunter was originally taken into custody on September 29 at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok at about 7:30 am while preparing to board a flight to Hong Kong. “I was shocked by what happened. I have not done anything wrong in Thailand,” he was quoted as saying. “It’s unbelievable. The police forces are working together to suppress free speech.”
The MCMC, he said, “conned the Thai police to use criminal defamation on me. Now journalists in Thailand are not safe if third countries seek Thai assistance to prosecute people they don’t like.”
Originally an academician and consultant to Asian governments on community development and village biotechnology, Hunter was a lecturer at Universiti Malaysia in the northern state of Perlis until 2015. He has written for a long list of publications including New Mandela, Online Opinion, Pravda, Eurasia Review, MIC, local Malaysian news sites, and others, and is the author of several books. He wrote for Asia Sentinel as well but started his own blog on Substack three years ago and no longer contributes.
In April 2024, the MCMC accused Hunter of “slanderous postings” for accusing the commission of acting beyond its jurisdiction for personal interests, of being politically influenced by the Pakatan Harapan administration, and claiming that the commission and the police were trying to scare the public. The commission “categorically rejected all baseless accusations.”
His troubles with the Malaysian government have been growing for several years, he said.
While Hunter has become widely known across Malaysia as an Anwar critic, repeatedly delivering specific examples of corruption and predicting the Pakatan Harapan coalition’s imminent demise, which has earned him the anger of the government, there is little doubt that, despite Anwar’s liberal credentials, his administration has become increasingly more restrictive of freedom of information. - Asia Sentinel
Australian living in Thailand faces trial over alleged criminal defamation of Malaysian government
Murray Hunter charged with offence which carries a potential penalty of two years in jail, or a 200,000 baht (AUD$9,500) fine
Thu 20 Nov 2025 05.55 GMT
An Australian academic and journalist faces up to two years in prison after being charged – in Thailand – with defaming the Malaysian government... - Guardian, 20/11/2025
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