‘Budgie 9’ man leaves Malaysia and urges cultural awareness

“I’d like to urge all Australians travelling overseas in the future to be very aware of the cultural differences and sensitivities that exist in other nations,” Kelly said.

Australian media dubbed them the Budgie Nine. A budgerigar is a small Australian parrot that is a popular household pet, and brief men’s swimwear in the Australia is colloquially known as budgie smugglers.

The name plays on nine Australians arrested in Indonesia for heroin trafficking in 2005 who became known as the Bali Nine.

The only one who had not returned to Australia by early Friday was Jack Walker, a senior adviser to Australian Defence Industry Minister Chris Pyne.

Walker remained overseas with family members, who had flown to Malaysia.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Friday described Malaysia’s treatment of the nine as “very lenient.”

Turnbull suggested Walker faced consequences when Pyne returned from an overseas trip.

“I will speak to Christopher when he is back and certainly the young man involved needs to have a very hard look at himself and he’ll be, I’m sure … considering his future carefully,” Turnbull told Radio FiveAA.

“The young Australian men were very repentant. But they do need to reflect very seriously on their conduct,” he said.

Budgy Smuggler, the Sydney-based, family-owned swimsuit manufacturer that made the Malaysian flag swimwear did not respond to a request for comment.

The company features on its website and social media photographs of customers wearing its swimwear in unusual public locations, including in front of Westminster Palace in London and the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Drinking from a shoe is something Ricciardo does when he wins a race.

Rod McGuirk, The Associated Press

by Canadian Press

‘Budgie 9’ man leaves Malaysia and urges cultural awareness

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