KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 16 — Free Malaysia Today (FMT) journalist Rex Tan has issued a public apology over a question he posed during a public lecture titled 'Gaza Exposes the Complicity of International Actors' on January 12.
In a statement, Tan expressed deep regret for his poorly constructed question, acknowledging that it lacked relevance to the event and did not take into account the sensitive nature of the topic.
He specifically apologised for mentioning the Chinese and Malay races in his question, noting that the reference was unnecessary and should have been omitted.
“I am deeply sorry for my poorly constructed question, my failure to consider its relevance to the event, and for asking it without sufficient regard for its sensitive nature.
"Most importantly, I deeply regret my mention of the Chinese and Malay races, which should have been left out entirely," he said in an FMT statement today.
Tan also acknowledged that his reference to Malaya in the question was far-fetched, irrelevant, confusing, and unnecessary and apologised for falling short of the professionalism expected of him as a journalist and stressed that he alone bears responsibility for the controversy.
"I will not attribute my failure to any party, as it was my own ignorance that initiated this controversy. I hope the public will refrain from unduly criticising FMT Media or, worse, my loved ones.
"I also hope the public will take into consideration that my question did not use the term 'apartheid' nor suggest the parallel with the present condition of Chinese Malaysians. I clarified this during my second opportunity to speak, when I stated: “I’m not comparing the current state of Malaysian Chinese to Palestinians. It’s unimaginable," he said.
Tan reaffirmed his support for the Palestinians’ struggles for self-determination and freedom from Israeli occupation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
He appealed to the public for restraint, urging people to refrain from sharing or commenting on posts that perpetuate this misunderstanding, which could further inflame public discourse.
"Once again, I take full ownership for the controversy and the tension it has generated. I earnestly apologise for this grave error and I wish that no further damage will be caused to FMT Media or to my loved ones," he added.
The controversy arose from a public lecture titled 'Gaza Exposes the Complicity of International Actors' featuring British politician George Galloway, during which Tan asked a question that later drew widespread criticism online on January 12.
