Malaysian journalist released on bail following sedition arrest linked to controversial question posed at public forum

Rex Tan, who has since resigned from news outlet Free Malaysia Today, had posed a question alleged to contain racial elements at the “Gaza Exposes the Complicity of International Actors” lecture featuring British politician George Galloway.

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KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian journalist, who was detained under sedition laws following a controversial question he posed at a public lecture, was released on Saturday (Jan 17).

Rex Tan, formerly with local news outlet Free Malaysia Today (FMT), was arrested at about 12.45am on Saturday after being summoned to the Dang Wangi district police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

He was released on police bail later that afternoon after his statement was recorded, Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director M Kumar said. 

Kumar also said on Saturday that three police reports had been lodged against Tan, reported the New Straits Times. 

Tan’s lawyer Rajsurian Pillai earlier confirmed that his client was detained under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948 and Section 505(c) of the Penal Code, The Star reported. 

The arrest followed a question Tan posed during a public lecture on Monday that was alleged to contain racial elements. 

At the lecture titled “Gaza Exposes the Complicity of International Actors” featuring British politician George Galloway, Tan had allegedly asked whether there were parallels between “the Palestine problem and the Chinese problem in Malaya”.

Videos of the exchange later circulated online, sparking widespread criticism on social media. 

FMT subsequently issued an apology on Wednesday, saying it had no prior knowledge of Tan's intention to raise the question and had not approved his comments. 

Tan, 31, also apologised on Thursday and resigned from the news outlet on Friday, following a townhall session convened by the top editors of FMT, local media reported. 

“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,” he said in a statement posted by FMT. 

“I take full ownership of the controversy and the tension it has generated.” 

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The Malaysian Media Council expressed concern over Tan’s arrest, describing it as “unnecessary and punitive”, adding that it reflects poorly on the government’s commitment to press freedom. 

The Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) also condemned Tan's arrest, calling it an excessive and hostile action that sets a "dangerous precedent" for the protection of media practitioners. 

In a statement on Saturday, CIJ said that the authorities' actions could discourage young journalists from asking questions of a sensitive nature and prevent critical discourse, for fear of both public backlash and legal repercussions. 

In a Facebook post, Tian Chua, a former vice-president of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) party described Tan’s arrest under the Sedition Act as “unnecessary and counterproductive”. 

Galloway, the speaker at the forum, replied briefly to the Facebook post: “My thoughts entirely.”

Following the criticism, Malaysia Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said on Saturday that the authorities had followed due process in the investigation into Tan.

In a video posted on his Facebook page, Saifuddin said that while the government respects freedom of expression, such liberty must be exercised with responsibility.

“When there is a complaint, it is the duty of the police to assess the matter and conduct preliminary investigations,” he was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times. 

He added that once investigations are completed, the investigation paper would be submitted to the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) for further action.

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