Malaysian police have arrested graphic artist Fahmi Reza for allegedly insulting the queen by creating a Spotify playlist mocking comments on her Instagram account. The arrest has been condemned by rights groups as a clampdown on free speech.
Police said Fahmi uploaded a playlist with songs containing the word 'jealousy' and a photo of Queen Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah. He also posted a link to the playlist on Facebook. The posts follow a reported remark from the queen's Instagram account asking a follower if they were jealous, which sparked social media uproar.
Fahmi is being investigated under Malaysia's Sedition Act and Communications and Multimedia Act. He previously received a jail sentence for portraying former prime minister Najib Razak as a clown, later commuted.
Amnesty International Malaysia said satirical works should not be criminalised, criticising the use of 'draconian' laws to silence dissent. Malaysia fell 18 places in the 2021 World Press Freedom Index, the steepest drop globally.
