SEPANG, Malaysia - Nine Australian men who stripped down to tight-fitting swimwear emblazoned with the Malaysian flag at last weekend's Formula 1 race were brought to a Malaysian courthouse on Thursday to face possible charges. The defendants arrived at a courthouse in the Malaysian town of Sepang in handcuffs, dressed in suits and looking sombre. The detainees, all in their 20s, were dubbed the "Budgie Nine" by Australian media, a reference to Speedo-style swimsuits known colloquially in Australia as "budgie smugglers". While many in Malaysia laughed the episode off, some called for jail terms over the "indecent" display, adding that the swimwear desecrated the country's flag. Public indecency is not tolerated in Malaysia, with foreign offenders typically slapped with a fine before being deported.

Source: Bangkok Post October 06, 2016 04:41 UTC