COMMENT | The arrest of Australian academic and political commentator, Murray Hunter, in Thailand is not an isolated event.

On Sept 29, 2025, Hunter was detained at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport as he prepared to board a flight to Hong Kong. He denied doing anything wrong in Thailand. He has since been released on bail, pending a November hearing.

His detention serves as a warning shot to Malaysian citizens, to Thailand’s judiciary, to the MCMC, and to the wider world watching Malaysia’s democratic backslide.

More importantly, it shows a failure of leadership in the Madani administration’s system of governance.