October 6, 2016
SEPANG, Malaysia (AFP) - 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 racing fans -- who were celebrating countryman Daniel Ricciardo's Malaysia Grand Prix win on Sunday -- provoked anger in the Muslim-majority country and a debate back home over boorish behaviour abroad by Aussie sports fans.
The defendants arrived at a courthouse in the Malaysian town of Sepang in handcuffs, dressed in suits and looking sombre.
Prosecutors have not yet specified their plans but they could include public-nuisance charges, which bring a fine, or a charge of disrespecting Malaysia's flag, which also can include a jail term of up to six months.
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".
A budgie, short for budgerigar, is an Australian parakeet and the close-fitting swimwear is so named for leaving little to the imagination.
They also had quaffed beer from their shoes to emulate Ricciardo, who celebrated his win by chugging champagne from his shoe on the podium.
After pictures and video of the boisterous scenes went viral, the nine men were arrested Sunday at the Sepang racing circuit and ordered held in remand for four days pending possible charges.
The court hearings were yet to begin as of late morning, as prosecutors and defence lawyers appeared to be in closed-door negotiations on how to proceed.
But an AFP journalist saw court staff placing the red, white, blue and yellow swimwear on an evidence table in a courtroom.
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.
Ricciardo came to his fans' defence in comments published Thursday by Sydney's Daily Telegraph, calling the stunt "pretty harmless".
"In Australia it's a bit different but I'm very sure they didn't intend to offend anyone," he said.
But Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop on Wednesday chastised the men.
"What might be seen as a foolish prank or Aussie 'blokey' behaviour in Australia can be seen very differently in another country," she told Channel Nine.
"You have to respect the laws of the country you are visiting."
Public indecency is not tolerated in Malaysia, with foreign offenders typically slapped with a fine before being deported.