Malaysian journalist released on bail following sedition arrest

A Malaysian journalist, who was detained under sedition laws following a controversial question he posed at a public lecture, was released on Saturday.



Rex Tan, formerly with local news outlet Free Malaysia Today, was arrested at about 12.45am on Saturday after being summoned to the Dang Wangi district police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.



He was released on police bail later that afternoon after his statement was recorde.



According to autrhorities three police reports had been lodged against Tan.



Tan’s lawyer earlier confirmed that his client was detained under the Sedition Act of 1948 and Section 505(c) of the Penal Code.



The arrest followed a question Tan posed during a public lecture on Monday that was alleged to contain racial elements.



At the lecture titled “Gaza Exposes the Complicity of International Actors” featuring British politician George Galloway, Tan had allegedly asked whether there were parallels between “the Palestine problem and the Chinese problem in Malaya”.



Videos of the exchange later circulated online, sparking widespread criticism on social media.