PETALING JAYA: The journalist whose question posed a lecture here caused a controversy has issued a full apology.
"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 take full ownership for the controversy generated by my remarks at the recent Gaza forum and the tension it has generated," he wrote on the FMT portal on Thursday (Jan 15).
He expressed regret over the construction of his question and his "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," he added.
Tan also pointed out that he did not use the term "apartheid" nor suggest a parallel with the present condition of Chinese Malaysians.
"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."
The incident stemmed from a public lecture titled "Gaza Exposes the Complicity of International Actors" held on Jan 12, featuring British politician George Galloway, where the reporter posed a question that later drew widespread criticism online.
FMT later issued an apology, saying it had no prior knowledge of the journalist's intention to raise the question and had not approved of his comments, adding that disciplinary action was taken following an internal investigation.
