KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 17 — Former PKR vice-president Tian Chua has criticised the arrest of Free Malaysia Today journalist Rex Tan under the Sedition Act, describing the move as unnecessary and counterproductive.
He said the action taken against Tan did not advance the Palestinian cause nor improve public understanding of the complex issues surrounding it.
“Rex Tan has acknowledged that he posed an insensitive question at an inappropriate forum. As an attendee at the talk, I witnessed how the speaker, Mr George Galloway, responded.
“He addressed the question pointedly and eloquently, offering a sharp and well-reasoned explanation that effectively explained the issues raised,” Chua wrote in a Facebook post.
Chua further said: “As a journalist, Rex Tan asked a question shaped by his own perceptions or biases. While many may disagree with his position, or even feel offended by the question. However it is overkill to charge him for having seditious or malicious intentions.”
He argued that while Tan’s approach warranted criticism, police action appeared disproportionate and risked suppressing open discussion, which he described as a direct assault on freedom of expression.
British politician George Galloway, who was the speaker at the forum, later commented on Tian Chua’s posting, saying: “My thoughts entirely”.
