Grow a tooth, Yong tells Malaysian Media Council

 “This is not a criticism. It’s a call for action.” - Yong Soo Heong, president of Malaysian Press Institute, lamenting the inaction of the Malaysian Media Council, which was set up this year after a 40-year struggle

31/10/25: In his latest newspaper column, Datuk Yong, 70, urged his fellow journalists who helm the Malaysian Media Council to start speaking up and be relevant. Journalists in this country, such as Yong himself, spent decades to convince the government to form the Council. It would a shame if those who helm it now are content to keep quiet when there are so many issues affecting the media and its practitioners that needed to be championed.

Hunter nabbed in Bangkok says Thai cops don't know why they were arresting him

 

"They could barely pronounce the titles of my articles and barely spoke English." - Murray Hunter on the Thai police after they freed him on bail, according to a Malaysia news portal. The Australian,known for harsh criticism of Malaysia after losing his job as a lecturer in Perlis, said he was sueing Malaysia's MCMC for his troubles.

Kuala Lumpur: For a foreigner who has been living in Thailand for years now, one would expect Murray Hunter to know that English isn't the preferred language of Thais. Or, one may expect him to have picked up some Thai, even. 

But no, he had to put someone down for his predicament. Like always.

" I do not think the Thai police even understand why they were arresting me and only told me that I was charged with defamation.

“They could barely pronounce the titles of my articles in English and barely spoke English and repeatedly told me that I had been arrested for defamation,” he told the Vibes after the cops had freed him.

Some of you may detect a condescending tone there but I believe, even though I don't know the guy personally, that that is who and how Hunter is. The Australian, who had been happily bashing Malaysia from his holiday home in Thailand, has just been served notice - legal notice - that he is not special, after all, and that - like you and me and everybody else - he can and will be held accountable for what he writes online.

If the law finds that what he has written are lies and defamatory, he will pay for his crime. 

But if he has done nothing wrong, I'm sure the Thai laws will protect him.

My advice to Hunter, don't insist that the judge presiding your case understand English. Just make sure your lawyer understands Thai. 

Hunter was detained by the Thai immigration authorities at the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok on Monday as he was about to leave the country for Hong Kong. He is being's charged under Section 328 of the Thai Criminal Code with defamation, where four of his Substack articles were quoted as defamatory material.

He told the Vibes' reporter that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) was behind his arrest (he may have insinuated that the Malaysian body can tell the Thai authorities what to do, pls search for the Vibes' article and see if he wasn't) and has promised to sue.

 I'm sure the people at MCMC are pissing in their pants at this Farang's threat.

But is it a great gig for everyone?

Gig Workers Bill 2025: a rush to regulate, but are all sectors ready? Rocky Bru

As Malaysia's proposed Gig Workers Bill aims to protect gig economy workers, concerns about its potential impact on smaller businesses and media outlets raise questions If the Bill is flexible enough to accommodate the diverse needs of all sectors involved

Reading one newspaper's coverage of the proposed Malaysian Gig Workers Bill 2025, which aims to regulate the gig economy and safeguard the rights of gig workers, I realised that not one person or group interviewed had anything critical to say about it.

Not one. And to me, that is a red flag.

It’s as red a flag as when nobody in Sarawak dared to question their state government's insistence on prioritising Petros over Petronas, thereby jeopardising the larger interests of the nation.

A weak opposition, as we all know, undermines the very spirit of democracy. Zero dissent, especially the failure of the media to criticise and question, is far worse.

The spirit of the proposed Gig Workers Bill, in all fairness, is noble. It aims to safeguard Malaysia's gig workers — all 1.2 million of them, according to the compliant newspaper.

But the gig economy is vast and diverse. It does not just involve workers like Grab or Lalamove riders, those in the music and creative industries, or freelancers and temporary workers in the media. It involves employers as well. Smaller companies need protection against larger ones, but the additional compliance costs resulting from the Bill could force many, especially in rural areas, to lose out unless the government offers generous incentives.

The larger platforms like Grab, Lalamove, and Foodpanda have their own concerns about the proposed Bill as well.

I believe it is essential that the Bill be carefully considered and tailored to address the unique realities of different sectors within the gig economy.

While the Bill seems primarily focused on e-hailing and p-hailing workers, its implications will extend beyond these sectors — particularly to industries such as news media, which also rely heavily on gig-based contributions.

This brings us back to the compliant newspaper that failed to raise any critical points, or perhaps was paid to downplay the potential issues.

The media industry is already facing significant financial challenges, amidst declining revenues and structural shifts. Should the Bill come into force in its current form, it could unintentionally place an added burden on news organisations.

Although Human Resources Minister Steven Sim has assured that companies will not be required to make SOCSO contributions, the proposed minimum standard fees, regulatory approvals for incentives, and potential minimum wage standards are cause for concern regarding the sustainability of the media industry.

Specifically, the requirement for minimum standard fees for freelance contributors or stringers — while well-intentioned — may prove unsustainable for media outlets operating on tight budgets.

Let’s not rush the Bill; there’s no shame in holding off until all aspects of the industry are properly considered.

I urge policymakers to engage in broader consultations with all affected industries, including media stakeholders, to ensure that the Bill is equitable, practical, and adaptable across different gig sectors.

A one-size-fits-all approach may unintentionally harm the very industries that depend on flexibility to survive. - August 28