JELUTONG MP RSN Rayer has urged Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution and Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Ismail to explain the arrests of two men over a podcast discussing secularism and liberalism.
Police said the pair, aged 30s and 60s, were detained for allegedly making seditious remarks and wounding religious feelings. Police reports were made against them over a video clip from the podcast.
Rayer argued that “podcasting is not a crime” and warned that political discourse should not be criminalised.
He also pressed authorities for updates on investigations into preacher Ridhuan Tee Abdullah’s alleged racist Facebook posts and Jempol MP Datuk Shamsulkahar Deli’s remarks linking DAP to an image deemed insulting to the Sultan of Selangor.
“What was so controversial about their podcast? The public demands answers,” said the DAP MP in a statement.
“Podcasting is not a crime. Political discourse must not be governed by a fear of reprisals. Their arrests do not reflect the spirit of Reformasi.
“A political discussion, even if controversial, uncomfortable, and containing strongly expressed political opinions — however distasteful — cannot automatically become a criminal matter warranting arrests by police,” he added.
Social media was flooded with reports of their arrest, with some detailing how the authorities proceeded in putting the duo in remand.
The Klang Magistrate’s Court granted a two-day remand order for Let’s Get It Podcast producer Bryan Kong and The Gut Shot Podcast producer Shamsul Saad following their arrest on August 6, 2026, the Good Cast podcast said on Facebook.
The arrests stem from complaints regarding clips of a controversial podcast episode uploaded to two TikTok accounts, which allegedly incited racial and religious tension.
The Facebook post also said Royal Malaysia Police are investigating the producers under the Sedition Act 1948, the Penal Code, and the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
James Chin, in a post on Facebook, said the two were released on Friday (Aug 7). — Aug 8, 2026
