Rex Tan

Rex Tan is a 31-year-old journalist who formerly worked for the Malaysian news site Free Malaysia Today (FMT). He is currently newsworthy due to his recent arrest under Malaysia's Sedition Act 1948 and Section 505(c) of the Penal Code. The arrest occurred after Tan asked a question at a Gaza lecture that linked the Gaza crisis to the treatment of ethnic Chinese in Malaysia, a question deemed 'sensitive'. Tan was summoned to the Dang Wangi district police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur and arrested early Saturday morning. His arrest has brought scrutiny to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's record on legal reforms, raising concerns about freedom of the press and the continued use of colonial-era laws in Malaysia. The incident highlights the ongoing debate surrounding sedition laws and their potential impact on journalistic freedom and public discourse.