A Malaysian who criticised Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto online has claimed they received multiple calls from unknown numbers shortly after sharing their views on Threads.
The post sparked discussions among Indonesian netizens, several of whom shared their own accounts of alleged intimidation over online criticism.
In the original post, the Malaysian expressed frustration over the calls, writing in Malay that they had barely criticised Prabowo before their phone began ringing.
A screenshot accompanying the post showed four missed-call notifications, three of which were labelled “Indonesia” and displayed numbers beginning with the country code +62.
“This is my first time receiving calls from Indonesia’s phone number. Well, multiple calls,” the poster wrote in a follow-up post.
They also claimed to have seen other Malaysians sharing similar experiences online.
However, the screenshots did not establish who made the calls or whether they were connected to the poster’s criticism of Prabowo.
In another update, the Malaysian alleged that the calls could be linked to Indonesia’s so-called “buzzers”, a term commonly used to describe accounts accused of promoting particular political narratives or targeting critics online.
Several commenters identifying themselves as Indonesians then shared accounts of alleged harassment.
One claimed that criticising political leaders could result in repeated calls from unknown numbers, threats to expose personal information and pressure to delete social media posts.
Another urged Malaysians to understand why some Indonesians might be reluctant to speak openly, saying they feared consequences that could extend beyond social media.
Others thanked the Malaysian for speaking up and expressed hope that they would remain safe.
The commenters’ accounts have not been independently verified.
In a subsequent update, the Malaysian expressed sympathy for those who said they had experienced intimidation, stressing that speaking out against injustice should not put anyone’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.
