Sharing an opinion online can bring plenty of replies. But for one Malaysian, it allegedly also came with unexpected phone calls.
Taking to Threads, the Malaysian shared that they had received multiple calls from unknown numbers after posting criticism of Prabowo Subianto.
The post soon drew responses from Indonesian netizens, with several sharing their own accounts of alleged intimidation over comments made online.
‘I only criticised him a little’
In the initial post, the Malaysian expressed frustration over the calls, writing in Malay that they had barely criticised Prabowo before their phone started receiving calls.
An accompanying screenshot showed four missed-call notifications, including three labelled “Indonesia” with numbers beginning with +62.
In a follow-up, the poster said this was the first time they had received calls from Indonesian numbers.
They also claimed to have seen other Malaysians sharing similar experiences online.
The screenshots, however, do not establish who made the calls or whether they were connected to the criticism.
Indonesian netizens share their concerns
In another update, the poster linked the calls to what they described as Indonesia’s “buzzers”, alleging that critics were being targeted online.
Several commenters identifying themselves as Indonesians responded with accounts of alleged harassment.
One claimed that criticising political leaders could lead to repeated calls from unknown numbers, messages threatening to expose personal information, and pressure to remove posts.
Another urged Malaysians to understand why some Indonesians might hesitate to speak openly, saying they feared consequences that could extend beyond social media.
Others thanked the Malaysian for speaking up and wished them safety.
These accounts were shared in the comments and were not independently verified.
‘No one should have to live in fear’
After reading the replies, the Malaysian shared a further update expressing sympathy for those who said they had experienced intimidation.
They wrote that speaking up against injustice should never put someone’s safety, family’s privacy or livelihood at risk.
“No one should have to live in fear just for exercising their right to speak out,” they added.
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