He is Australian. Resides in Thailand but keeps writing about Malaysia.His favourite topics appear to be Malaysian politics and controversies. He even finds it appropriate to comment on Royalty.

By Murai Hantu

There is a saying in journalism. Publish and be damned. Essentially it means having the courage to stand by one's articles, and face whenever consequence. Essentially lawsuits.

Of course in today's world that doesn't seem to apply anymore where anyone with a device can type anything they want about a person and almost always get away with it.

Writing about someone from another jurisdiction will provide the protection for these often paid keyboard warriors.

One such individual appears to be Murray Hunter.

He is Australian. Resides in Thailand but keeps writing about Malaysia.His favourite topics appear to be Malaysian politics and controversies. He even finds it appropriate to comment on Royalty.

Perhaps he has an affinity for Malaysia, having been a member of the academic staff of Universiti Malaysia Perlis.

If he were indeed a gun for hire then this year could be where he struck gold.

The establishment of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's Unity Government which just turned one; the fledgling fortunes of Umno; the falling ringgit; and particularly a stadium redevelopment project.

With all that is happening in this country, for a good part of his musings, Murray has trained his focus on the Shah Alam

Sports Complex. In fact in his own year-end Top Ten, Murray ranks the sports complex issue as the ninth most read article of his.

From the safety of his home in Hatyai he has been cheering Malaysian Green Party president Abdul Razak Ismail who is being sued by Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB).

Razak has been vocal against the project, casting numerous accusations and innuendos against the State Government as well as MRCB, eventually causing the government linked company (GLC) to take legal action including an injunction.

Murray has used his writing skills to support Razak on a few occasions.

Meanwhile, even though the Shah Alam High Court dismissed the injunction application, the defamation suit continues.

Hence it begs the question. Why be a sore winner and go after MRCB’s lawyers? In the latest vitriol, Datuk Selva Kumar Mookiah of Selva & Associates.

A lot of things are said about Selva Kumar, where his professionalism and ethics are questioned.

Repeating and republishing defamatory statements can get you into legal trouble. And since I am not writing from the safety of a Thai village, rather in

good old litigious Kuala Lumpur, I rather not rehash Murray's words.

But could defaming a lawyer be a strategy to get Selva Kumar off the case? If he decides to sue and be a party to the suit where the Shah Alam Sports Complex and MRCB are in the middle of it, Selva Kumar will have to discharge himself as MRCB’s lawyer.

Is Murray and Razak part of a lethal doubles pair to go after the Selangor Government, particularly Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari? After all Amirudin features heavily in their writings and statements respectively.

And if so, why is Razak being left to hold the baby while Murray is happily riding

his kapcai around Hatyai without a care in this world. Knowing his Man Friday Razak will be the one who has to face the consequences?

Razak, sure does look like you got the short end of the stick here.

Murray, time to man up and pay a visit to Malaysia. Put your money where your mouth is and take some of the heat off your partner in crime.

______________________

Murai Hantu is a Malaysia living and making a living in Malaysia