M'sian journalist arrested under sedition laws for race-related question at Gaza lecture

A Malaysian journalist has been arrested in Malaysia following a controversial question he asked at a public lecture on Gaza that was related to race.

Rex Tan, a former journalist from Free Malaysia Today, was summoned by the police on Jan. 17, The Star reported.

He was subsequently arrested under the Sedition Act. Tan was later freed from police custody after taking his statement and seizing his phone.

In a statement on Jan. 17, the Malaysian Media Council called the arrest and detention of Tan "unnecessary and punitive."

It highlighted that Tan apologised, resigned from Free Malaysia Today, and expressed his willingness to cooperate with the ongoing police investigation.

The council called for Tan's immediate release.

"We urge the police and the government to exercise restraint, adopt a proportionate and just approach in addressing such matters;

And refrain from punitive actions that undermine journalistic work, media freedom, and the broader safety and professional security of journalists."

The question

Tan attended a public lecture titled "Gaza Exposes the Complicity of International Actors" on Jan. 12, featuring British politician George Galloway, himself a controversial figure.

During the Q&A portion, Tan posed a question to Galloway that seemingly drew a comparison between the plight of the Palestinians and the Chinese situation in Malaysia.

In response, Galloway said that Tan did not "do his cause any favour by comparing yourself to the Palestinians".

He then called Tan's comparison "grotesque" and said that it bears "no relation to the reality of your society."

Apology and resignation

On Jan. 15, FMT published Tan's apology, where he took "full ownership for the controversy generate by [his] remarks".

"I genuinely and unequivocally apologise for the question I posed... I am deeply sorry for my poorly constructed question, my failure to take into account its relevance to the event, and for asking it without sufficient consideration of its sensitive nature.

Most importantly, I severely regret my mention of the Chinese and Malay races, which could and should have been left out entirely."

Tan emphasised that he did not intend to pose a "racist question" and regretted that it was perceived that way.

He also reiterated that he was not comparing the current state of Malaysian Chinese to the Palestinians, nor did he use the term "apartheid".

Tan then resigned from FMT on Jan. 16.

Top photo via International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies Malaysia/Facebook