Damansara, 29/jan: I am usually sympathetic towards fellow bloggers who get their blogs blocked but in the case of Murray Hunter, an Australian residing in Hatyai after years of making a living in Malaysia, the poor gentleman has got it coming.
The MCMC took his blog down two days ago, according to Hunter himself, following his latest posting on the Shah Alam stadium - Approval to demolish Shah Alam Stadium given under strange circumstances.
“Blocked once again without being advised by MCMC. Looks like Malaysia going back to the dark ages,” Hunter said on X.
But do read his posting on what he calls the “publicly unpopular” stadium project. In my opinion, the offending article was littered with biased suppositions, insinuations, and half truths that would lead to fake news and disinformation. And these he was making 500km away in Hatyai.
I think you’d agree that Hunter crossed the line whenm he suggested that the “strange circumstances” had something to do with “pressure from the palace”.
Hunter even invoked a section in the Selangor Constitution that spells out the scope of power - or, rather the limitations - of the Sultan and proceeded to conclude that, “Thus, the issuance of the demolition order may in fact be unconstitutional. The state legal advisor must give an opinion on this matter.’
This wasn’t the first time Hunter has attacked the much-anticipated Shah Alam stadium project. It makes one wonder about this foreigner’s fixation. Why, isn’t there anything worth criticising or unearthing in Hatyai and Thailand?
And I keep thinking also: who’s putting Hunter up to it? It cannot be coincidence that a day after the article appeared, sacked PKR politician Abdul Razak Ismail reared his head once again to challenge the Shah Alam project. I have written about this Malay gentleman before the general election last year - Defamation suit over Stadium project: Party Hijau’s Razak Ismail has no cause to whine unless …
