Suspected of sedition for simply asking a question: The worrying investigation into Malaysian journalist Rex Tan

On 17 January 2026, Malaysian journalist Rex Tanwas arrested and detainedfor half a day, from midnight to around 1 pm by police in Kuala Lumpur as part of an investigation into an alleged violation of Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act, as well as Section 505(c) of the Penal Code, which criminalises the which criminalises the circulation of a report or rumour "with intent to incite, or which is likely to incite" public mischief. He was released on bail, but his phone was seized for the ongoing investigation. In Malaysia, the offence of sedition is punishable by a sentence of up to three years in prison.

Five days earlier, Rex Tan attended a public conference on the crisis in Gaza at the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS) Malaysia, a think tank, during which he asked a question about combating xenophobia and drew a historical parallel between the Palestinian cause and the situation of ethnic Chinese communities in Malaysia. A video of this moment was widely shared online and sparked heated controversy in a country with a multi-ethnic society where inter-communal issues remain highly sensitive.

In the days following the video's publication, Rex Tan became the target of a wave of online attacks, which included threats of physical violence against him and his family and doxxing (disclosure of his personal data). Faced with this intense harassment, he issueda public apology on the website of Free Malaysia Today, stating that he had never intended to inflame communal tensions, and resigned from the media in an attempt to defuse the situation.

In response to Rex Tan's arrest, the Malaysian Media Council- an independent self-regulatory body that weighs on media ethics and dispute resolution, denounced"unnecessary and punitive" measures and warned that it reflected poorly on the government's commitment to press freedom.

Worrying use of sedition charges against journalists

Despite a relative improvement in press freedom in recent years - highlighted by Malaysia's rise from 101st place in 2020 to 88th out of 180 countries in the 2025 RSF World Press Freedom Index, journalists and independent media outlets continue to be regularly targeted in Malaysia. The vaguely-worded Sedition Act, which carries a considerable prison sentence, has long been used to stifle reporters, creating an environment of self-censorship as news professionals fear reprisals for their work.

Before Rex Tan, the most recent example occurred in October 2023, when Malaysian journalist and publisher Kean Wongwas detainedfor 24 hours as part of a police investigation into a political book that was banned by the government because its cover illustration caricaturised the national coat of arms, which was deemed an "affront to public order." Although the investigation into Wong has been completed, the case has not been dropped.