(Melbourne, 2 October 2025) The NGO Sabah Sarawak Rights Australia and New Zealand (SSRANZ) unequivocally condemns the arrest of Australian journalist and political activist Murray Hunter in Bangkok on 29 September 2025, reportedly at the behest of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

This arrest is seen as part of Malaysia’s broader campaign to intimidate Sabah and Sarawak independence activists and silence critics of its governance. SSRANZ asserts that these attempts at intimidation and silence freedom of speech will not deter activists nor weaken the commitment to advocating for justice and independence in Borneo.

Murray Hunter’s Arrest in Thailand 
Hunter was reportedly charged under Section 328 of the Thai Criminal Code for defamation, citing four of his Substack articles as allegedly defamatory. While these reports have not been independently verified, the arrest raises critical questions: why should Hunter face prosecution
under Thai law for alleged offences relating to Malaysia? In April 2024, MCMC had categorically rejected Hunter’s accusations that the agency was being politically influenced by the government. Hunter had alleged that MCMC was acting beyond its jurisdiction and attempting to intimidate the public for political purposes.

This arrest, if executed outside Thailand’s jurisdiction, constitutes a blatant act of transnational repression aimed at silencing dissent and suppressing freedom of expression. Hunter’s journalism has consistently exposed systemic corruption and government overreach in Malaysia, including:

• Analyses of Malaysia’s “deep state” and the so-called “gangster government”
• The war on whistleblowers and media censorship
• Islamist influence within the Pakatan Harapan administration
• Political patronage and misuse of government agencies

Significantly, Hunter also published the Republic of Sabah North Borneo (RSNB) Declaration of a Government in Exile on 15 September 2025. His articles provide historical context, independent analysis, and reinforce Sabah and Sarawak independence activism, making him a direct target of
Malaysian authorities.

Consistency with Malaysia’s Pattern of Targeting Critics Abroad
Hunter’s arrest is not isolated. In February 2024, British investigative journalist Clare Rewcastle Brown, editor of Sarawak Report, was sentenced in absentia by a Malaysian court to two years’ imprisonment for criminal defamation of Sultanah Nur Zahirah of Terengganu, based on her 2018
book The Sarawak Report: The Inside Story of the 1MDB Exposé.

Ms Brown has long exposed corruption, human rights violations, and timber-logging abuses in Sarawak, and her reporting contributed to the exposure of the 1MDB scandal and the conviction of former Prime Minister Najib Razak.

In another case, she was sued for defamation by some prominent Sarawak politicians. She was denied entry to Kuching to attend the hearing and latter the case was withdrawn by the Plaintiffs. https://www.wikiwand.com/en/articles/Clare_Rewcastle_Brown 

These cases underscore the Malaysian government’s willingness to pursue dissent internationally, targeting journalists and activists who provide independent analysis or expose corruption, human rights violations, and colonial injustices.

Malaysian Suppression of Borneo Independence Movements
Hunter’s arrest is part of a broader strategy to suppress the growing Borneo independence movement. Measures include:
• Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) has openly campaigned for Sarawak’s independence and recently started a Sabah PBK. Its President, Voon Lee Shan, has been repeatedly interrogated — by police in 2021, 2022, 2024, and 2025, and most recently by the Registry of Societies in a three-hour session probing PBK policies already in the public domain. Mr Voon has stated that he fears being “disappeared,” as has happened to other Malaysian
citizens.
• Peaceful RSNB flag demonstrations in Melbourne (September 2024) marking the 61st anniversary of Sabah and Sarawak’s absorption into Malaysia, investigated by Malaysian police despite being fully lawful in Australia. At the rally, the Malaysian national flag was lowered symbolically to end Malayan colonial rule. Many Sabah and Sarawak people see the forced British Malayan integration of their 2 countries into Malaysia as a replacement of British colonial rule with Malaya colonial rule.
• International harassment of activists, including Doris Jones of the Sabah Sarawak Keluar Malaysia (SSKM) movement and journalists such as Clare Rewcastle Brown. SSRANZ President Robert Pei, a Melbourne lawyer, was interviewed by the Malaysian Special Branch in 2015 after presenting a paper on the Sedition Act 1948 in Kuching, Sarawak.

Court hearings in 2016 on SAPA’s deregistration revealed police reports against him for speeches made in Kuching. Pei first publicly asserted that the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) was void ab initio in forums across Sarawak and Sabah (2013–2014), a position he has maintained and updated, notably following the ICJ Chagos Islands Case (2019).

Malaysian repression also targets domestic activists. Many in Sarawak and Sabah have faced arrests and sedition charges since 2013. Sabah activist Doris Jones received an arrest warrant in London in 2015, followed by an international warrant when she did not return. PBK leaders have been
subjected to repeated interrogations, while civil organizations such as the Sarawak Association of the People’s Aspirations (SAPA) were deregistered in 2014 on alleged sedition grounds. SAPA’s reinstatement by the High Court of Borneo in 2016 and affirmation by the Federal Court in 2018
upheld freedom of speech.

Historically, Malaysians abroad have faced repercussions for dissent. Returning students in the 1970s were arrested for political activism overseas. More recently, the Bersih movement for electoral reform mobilized global support, reflecting persistent repression and the ongoing struggle
for democratic freedoms.

Thailand’s Role
SSRANZ condemns the Thai authorities for cooperating with Malaysia to detain an Australian citizen for actions not illegal under Thai law. By facilitating politically motivated prosecution, Thailand undermines international norms protecting freedom of expression and press freedom. By contrast, on 29 September 2025, Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Nathan Law was denied entry into Singapore, despite Singapore having an extradition treaty with Hong Kong. Singapore chose not to hand him over to China, instead barring entry on national interest grounds, demonstrating that ASEAN governments can exercise discretion to avoid complicity in politically motivated repression — unlike Thailand in Hunter’s case.

SSRANZ Calls Upon
1. Malaysian Government – Immediately withdraw all extraterritorial claims against Murray Hunter and cease harassment of Sabah and Sarawak independence activists abroad.
2. Thai Government – Ensure Hunter is treated fairly and not prosecuted for exercising fundamental rights.
3. Australian Government – Defend Hunter as an Australian citizen, demand explanations from Malaysia and Thailand, and investigate whether these actions violate international law and press freedom.
4. International community – Recognize the growing trend of transnational repression in ASEAN and uphold protections for journalists and human rights defenders.

SSRANZ reiterates its unwavering support for Murray Hunter and the people of Sabah and Sarawak in their pursuit of free expression and self-determination. The criminalisation of legitimate political criticism cannot and will not be tolerated.

02 Oct 2925
Robert Pei
President
Sabah Sarawak Rights Australia and New Zealand (SSRANZ)

Source: Robert Pei Official Statement