Detractors Wonder If Pmx Will Advise His On The Run Asean Adviser Thaksin To Seek Immunity

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SUCH is the prevailing sentiment after veteran journalist and blogger Datuk A. Kadir Jasin posted a one-liner Facebook status update which read: “Thaksin, the Malaysian Prime Minister’s personal advisor on ASEAN, left Thailand for fear of imprisonment”.
The witty manner in which the national journalism laureate presented his status update elicited opposition-slant commenters to offer their two sen worth sarcasm while Madani backers questioned the former’s motive in posting such status update.
“PMX should have advised Thaksin to seek immunity,” suggested a cheeky commenter.


For context, CNN reported that Thailand’s influential former premier Thaksin Shinawatra suddenly left the country on his private jet Thursday (Sept 4) – days before a court ruling that could see him imprisoned, hence raising speculation that he might not return to face the verdict.
His departure came a day before the Thai Parliament picked veteran politician Anutin Charnvirakul to become the country’s Prime Minister (PM) on Friday (Sept 5), thus ousting the ruling Pheu Thai party which Thaksin founded.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (right) and former Thai premier Thaksin ShinawatraHis daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra who became Thailand’s youngest PM on Aug 16 last year was removed from office on Aug 29 following an ethics probe.
Recall that the 76-year-old Thaksin has spent 15 years in self-imposed exile after being forced from office in a 2006 military coup.
Editor’s Note: Thai mainstream English daily The Nation now expects Thaksin who claimed that he had had flown aboard for a medical check-up with doctors who had previously treated him while overseas to return to Thailand no later than Sept 8 (today) to appear before the Supreme Court in the “14th floor case” on Sept 9 (tomorrow).

Political baggage
“Will he be given protection in Malaysia? Or will Anwar have to go and seek his advice wherever he is?”  Kadir who was the former group editor of mainstream New Straits Times further wondered while referring to local and foreign media reports.


Interestingly, some commenters defended the former special media advisor to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad during his second premiership stint (2018-2020) when one presumably Madani fan accused Kadir of harbouring ill intention “to deliberately trying to disparage PM Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim”.
“How could Anwar have anticipated that he (Thaksin) will run away, his daughter would lose her position and so on. It’s up to PMX whether to seek advice online or just switch to another advisor,” chided the commenter.

Although Madani government backers hailed PMX’s decision to appoint Thaksin as his informal ASEAN adviser on Dec 16 last year in conjunction with Malaysia’s ASEAN 2025 chairmanship. the move has raised eyebrows given the slew of controversies and political baggage he carries with him.

Henceforth, tongues are wagging as to whether PMX will keep Thaksin in his current role or consider terminating it to uphold ASEAN’s credibility? Or simply do nothing by letting Thaksin’s advisory tenure lapse when Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship ends?
Thus, opined Singapore’s ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute’s Thailand Studies Programme visiting fellow and acting coordinator Napon Jatusripitak in The Anwar-Thaksin Deal: A Masterstroke or Miscalculation?:
If Anwar’s plan is for Malaysia to play a more active role in mediating peace talks in Thailand’s Deep South, involving or associating with Thaksin is not just ill-advised – it risks further eroding Malaysia’s credibility in a process where its neutrality is already questionable to begin with.


On Myanmar, Thaksin’s failed attempt to broker peace in May 2024 offers little reason to expect a different outcome now, even if the State Administration Council (SAC) finds itself losing chunks of territory by the day. –  Focus Malaysia

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