He is yet another reminder that those who write on blogs, the internet, and social media do not exist in a vacuum.
From Ahirudin Attan
How a former lecturer like Murray Hunter got elevated to the status of human rights defender (HRD) beats me. But that was the title bestowed on the Australian living in Hatyai by a motley group led by Aliran to try and help Hunter out of a legal mess he created.
Fortunately, Thai law does not give a hoot about whether you’re called an HRD or you’re white. If you’re based in Thailand and you think it is safe to defame someone or something in Malaysia, you’re wrong.
Hunter knows this now.
After all his bravado about countersuing the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and challenging the system that neighbouring countries like Malaysia and Thailand have put in place to safeguard their interest and uphold their laws, Hunter wasted little time to go on record to say sorry to MCMC, its chief commissioner Salim Fateh Din, and a whole lot of people he had mentioned or slandered in the four articles he referenced in his apology.
Hunter has never had much good to write about Malaysia. Those he bad-mouthed in the four articles included Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and the Malaysian media (something to note for the new Malaysian Media Council).
There are other articles on Malaysia, the government, the Bumiputera policies, and even the royalty that he had written, which convinced me he is not just obsessed with this country, he may have an axe to grind, too.
In any case, Hunter is yet another reminder that we who write on blogs, the internet, and social media do not exist in a vacuum.
We are governed by laws and regulations, just like the journalists in the mainstream media are, and the onus is on us to ensure that we don’t cross the line.
Be humble, be fair. - FMT
Ahirudin Attan, also known as Rocky Bru, is president of the National Press Club of Malaysia.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.
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