Malaysian reporter arrested for sedition after controversial question at Gaza lecture

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 1 min read 100% complete by The StarJanuary 17, 2026 at 03:13 AM

AI Summary

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Former Malaysian journalist Rex Tan was arrested early Saturday morning in Kuala Lumpur under the Sedition Act and Penal Code. The arrest stems from a question Tan posed during a public lecture on Gaza featuring British politician George Galloway on Monday. The question allegedly contained racial elements and drew significant online criticism. Tan's former employer, Free Malaysia Today (FMT), issued an apology, stating they were unaware of his intentions and did not approve of the comments. The Malaysian Media Council has condemned the subsequent doxxing, harassment, and intimidation of journalists following the incident.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Malaysian Media Council 40% Gaza 40% Dang Wangi district police headquarters 50% Penal Code 50% George Galloway 50% Sedition Act 1948 60% Rajsurian Pillai 60% Malaysia 70% Free Malaysia Today (FMT) ×270% Kuala Lumpur ×280% Rex Tan ×490%

Keywords

sedition 90% arrest 80% journalist 80% gaza lecture 70% controversial question 70% sedition act 60% malaysian media council 60% harassment 50% doxxing 50% kuala lumpur 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.40

Source Transparency

Source

South China Morning Post

Political Lean

Center-Right (0.50)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

85%

Geographic Perspective

Kuala Lumpur

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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sedition arrest journalist gaza lecture controversial question sedition act malaysian media council harassment doxxing kuala lumpur

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