Malaysian Artist Arrested For Insulting Queen With Spotify Playlist

Graphic artist, Fahmi Reza was arrested after allegedly uploading a Spotify playlist that mocked comments on the queen’s Instagram account, and posting the link to the playlist to his Facebook page.

He is currently being investigated under Malaysian sedition and communication laws.

Reza, had uploaded a Spotify playlist with songs containing the word ‘jealousy’, with a photo of Queen Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah after a remark made on the queen’s Instagram account this week in response to a follower asking if the palace chefs were all vaccinated. The queen’s Instagram account is said to have responded by asking if the follower was jealous, which caused an uproar on social media.

Fahmi has been sentenced to jail in Malaysia once before, for portraying former prime minister Najib Razak as a clown. His sentence was later commuted.

Various rights groups have become increasingly concerned over a crackdown on dissenting voices under Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

Fahmi’s lawyer, Yohendra Nadarajah, said that it was unclear if or when the artist would be charged but that he had been released on bail on Saturday evening.

The country has since fallen 18 places on ‘Reporters Without Borders’ 2021 World Press Freedom index’ – the steepest drop from last year among all other countries. countries.