Former FMT journalist arrested under Sedition Act over Gaza lecture question

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 17 — Former FMT journalist Rex Tan was arrested under the Sedition Act after posing a question deemed racially sensitive during a public lecture featuring UK politician George Galloway on Gaza.

Tan, 31, was detained past midnight after being summoned to the Dang Wangi district police headquarters, according to Malaysiakini.

His lawyer, Rajsurian Pillai, confirmed the arrest under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act and Section 505(c) of the Penal Code, which addresses statements intended to cause alarm.

The case is now under investigation by the Bukit Aman federal police headquarters.

Tan issued a public apology, describing his question as "poorly constructed" and admitting it failed to consider the event's context and sensitivity.

"I'm not comparing the current state of Malaysian Chinese to Palestinians. It's unimaginable," Tan said.

He expressed regret for referencing the Chinese and Malay communities, acknowledging such mentions "could and should have been left out entirely."

Malaysian Media Council deputy chairperson Premesh Chandran described the arrest and detention as "going overboard and punitive," noting Tan had indicated willingness to cooperate.

The media council condemned doxxing, harassment, and intimidation of journalists following backlash against Tan.

FMT, Tan's former employer, issued an apology, stating it was unaware of his intent to pose the controversial question and did not endorse his remarks.