Malaysian artist Fahmi Reza’s arrest for ‘insulting’ queen sparks backlash
- The authorities are believed to have taken issue with a playlist Fahmi curated and uploaded to the music streaming platform Spotify
- His lawyer said he was being investigated under the Sedition Act and Communications and Multimedia Act for sharing ‘offensive and menacing content’
The arrest of well-known Malaysian graphic artist and activist Fahmi Reza for allegedly insulting the country’s queen – who is under fire for a social media faux pas – has triggered an outcry among free speech advocates who say authorities are being trigger-happy in using the law to clamp down on satire.
Fahmi, who uses the handle “kuasasiswa” on social media, was arrested on Friday evening under the colonial-era Sedition Act and for sharing “offensive and menacing content” under the country’s Communications and Multimedia Act, according to his lawyers.
Fahmi was released on Saturday evening after the end of a 24-hour remand period. A magistrate earlier in the day denied a police request to remand him in custody for four days.
“In a country where a graphic artist is being censored, arrested and locked up for his artwork, it is absolutely important that such artistic expression – parody and satire as a form of protest – should continue to be allowed to be practised and defended,” the activist said in a statement through his lawyers.
The Sedition Act carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison, a fine of 5,000 ringgit (US$1,220) or both, while those convicted under the communication law are liable for a penalty of up to a one-year jail term, a 50,000 ringgit fine, or both.
The authorities are believed to have taken issue with a playlist Fahmi curated and uploaded to the music streaming platform Spotify on Wednesday.