KUALA LUMPUR — Former Free Malaysia Today (FMT) journalist Rex Tan was arrested shortly after midnight on Saturday after reporting to the Dang Wangi district police headquarters, as Malaysian authorities opened a sedition and public mischief investigation linked to a controversial question he posed at a public lecture in the capital.
Tan’s lawyer, Rajsurian Pillai, confirmed the arrest and said his client was detained under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948 and Section 505(c) of the Penal Code. Police investigators from Bukit Aman are handling the case, according to Rajsurian and subsequent reporting.
The arrest followed a wave of online criticism over a question Tan asked during a Monday lecture titled “Gaza Exposes the Complicity of International Actors,” featuring British politician George Galloway. The question, described in reports as containing racial elements, triggered doxxing and harassment targeted at Tan and wider condemnation from media groups.
FMT issued a public apology earlier in the week, saying it had no prior knowledge Tan intended to raise the question and had not approved his remarks. The Malaysian Media Council (MMC) later condemned the doxxing, intimidation and threats directed at journalists amid the backlash, warning that such actions endanger media workers and undermine press freedom.
Tan apologised publicly on Thursday, saying he took “full ownership” of the controversy and regretted referencing “the Chinese and Malay races,” which he said “could and should have been left out entirely.” He urged the public to stop circulating posts that could inflame discourse. He resigned on Friday following an internal town hall with editors, according to multiple reports.
Authorities sought a longer remand, but a magistrate granted one day, with Rajsurian saying Tan was expected to be released later Saturday after police recorded his statement. The New Straits Times later reported Tan was released at about 1:15pm.
Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim criticised the sedition move as excessive, arguing the journalist had already apologised and that contrition should suffice. MMC vice-chairman Premesh Chandran similarly said detention was unnecessary because Tan had indicated willingness to cooperate with investigators.
