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EX-JOURNALIST Rex Tan, who was remanded for a day following his question at a recent lecture on the Gaza conflict, was released at 1.15 pm, his lawyer, Rajsurian Pillai told The New Straits Times.
It was earlier reported that Tan was being investigated under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act, Section 505 of the Penal Code for statements conducing to public mischief, and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) for misuse of network facilities.
Rajsurian said police had sought a four-day remand, but he objected because Tan was not a flight risk and had been cooperating with the police.
Magistrate Farah Nabihah Muhamad Dan then granted a one-day remand.
Tan, a former Free Malaysia Today journalist, was detained by police in the early hours of Friday following controversy over a question he posed at a public forum earlier this week.
Tan, 31, who resigned from FMT on Thursday morning, was arrested after presenting himself at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters.
The incident stems from a public forum titled “Gaza Exposes the Complicity of International Actors”, held on Monday and featuring British politician George Galloway. Tan’s question during the event triggered widespread backlash on social media.
Following the criticism, Tan issued a public apology, acknowledging that his question had been poorly framed and inappropriate for the context of the discussion.
He said the question was “not structured properly” and admitted that he failed to “take into account its suitability for the discourse”, adding that it was raised without sufficient consideration of the sensitivities surrounding the issue.
“What I regret most is the act of touching on Chinese–Malay relations, something that was completely unnecessary and should never have happened,” he said.
Pillai earlier confirmed that Tan was detained under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act, with investigations understood to be handled by Bukit Aman.
Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director Datuk M. Kumar said three police reports on the matter have been lodged.
"Tan was released on police bail following the recording of his statement. We also seized his phone to facilitate investigations," Kumar said.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail also reportedly said that Tan will be released after the police record his statement.
"I have been informed by Inspector-General of Police, Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail, that Rex Tan will be released," he said. – January 17, 2026