Murray HUNTER
Image Credit: Provided by Murray Hunter
An Australian writer, journalist, and academic, Murray Hunter faced an ongoing campaign of transnational legal harassment in 2025, with parallel civil and criminal defamation proceedings in Malaysia and Thailand. These SLAPPs stem from his critical reporting on matters of public interest.
In April 2024, Hunter self-published a series of articles on his Substack criticising the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) for reportedly blocking websites deemed critical of the government. He also documented the presence of MCMC officials during police raids of private homes.
On 29 September 2025, Hunter was detained by Thai police at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok while preparing to board a flight. He was released on bail the next day, though his passport was confiscated, preventing him from leaving Thailand. On 17 November 2025, a Thai court indicted Hunter on four counts of criminal defamation under Section 328 of the Thai Criminal Code, following a complaint filed by the MCMC. Each count carried a potential sentence of up to two years’ imprisonment and a fine.
The criminal proceedings in Thailand, where Hunter lives, followed a civil defamation case brought against him in Malaysia by the MCMC in April 2024. Hunter has stated that he was never served with court documents and was unaware of the proceedings until after the 15 October 2024 judgment had been issued.
On 17 January 2026, Hunter and the MCMC reached a settlement agreement, and the charges against him have been dropped. While this outcome is welcome, the proceedings remain a troubling example of a transnational SLAPP, involving the use of criminal defamation laws and cross-border legal mechanisms to intimidate and silence a writer for his work.
Murray Hunter is an independent Australian journalist and writer whose analysis of governance and politics in Malaysia has been widely published, including in Free Malaysia Today and the Malay Mail. He is also the author of several books on Malaysia’s history, economy, and political development.