An apology from Rex Tan

I take full ownership for the controversy generated by my remarks at the recent Gaza forum and the tension it has generated.

PETALING JAYA:

 My name is Rex Tan, a journalist at Free Malaysia Today. I genuinely and unequivocally apologise for the question I posed during a public lecture titled, “Gaza Exposes the Complicity of International Actors” on Jan 12.

I am deeply sorry for my poorly constructed question, my failure to take into account its relevance to the event, and for asking it without sufficient consideration of its sensitive nature.

Most importantly, I severely regret my mention of the Chinese and Malay races, which could and should have been left out entirely.

I wish to state here unequivocally that I had not the faintest intention to be incendiary or to pose a racist question, and regret deeply that it has been perceived as such.

I also wish to state that I did not intend to agitate any community — be it the Malays, Chinese, or Palestinians — and I unreservedly regret that my lack of sensitivity has caused tension among Malaysians.

I have given due consideration to the statements issued by the Malaysian Media Council and various other quarters concerning the errors I committed in my statement.

I acknowledge that my reference to Malaya in the question was far-fetched, irrelevant, confusing, and unnecessary.

As such, I apologise again for falling short of the professionalism expected of me as a journalist.

I will not attribute my failure to any party, as it was my own ignorance that initiated this controversy. As such, I hope the public will refrain from unduly attacking 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”.

I wish to state here that I fully support the Palestinians’ struggles for self-determination and freedom from Israeli occupation on the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

In this regard, I respectfully submit that Zaid Ibrahim’s post has, to a certain degree, misinterpreted my remarks by claiming that I had “asked (during the event) if the discriminatory apartheid policy of the Israelis does not resemble the way Malays treated the Chinese here”.

I therefore beseech the public for restraint, and to refrain from sharing, creating, or further commenting on posts that perpetuate this misunderstanding, which may 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.

Sincerest,
Rex Tan

- FMT