Kean Wong, the overseas-based Malaysian book editor, made headlines yesterday following his arrest. According to reports, Wong had returned to the country a week prior and was at the Kelana Jaya Immigration Department for passport renewal, triggering an alert in the Immigration system due to his presence on a police watch list.

The controversy stems from his book 'Rebirth: Reformasi, Resistance, And Hope in New Malaysia' released in 2020, where the cover bore an image resembling Malaysia's coat of arms. However, instead of the customary tigers and emblems, the image featured a naked baby between humanoid tigers on a crocodile with a prominent human face in the center. This representation was considered a desecration of the national symbol.

During the investigation, statements were obtained from contributing writers, graphic artists, and the book's sales advisor. The book was banned in July 2020 due to objections about its cover. It primarily delves into political analyses and reports on the 2018 general election (GE14), marking the end of Barisan Nasional's six-decades-long hold on power.

During the investigations, the rights group Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) criticized the probe, citing that the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act 1963, under which the investigation was conducted, only forbade the use of the official coat of arms without written permission from the minister. LFL emphasized that the law did not prohibit artistic renditions inspired by the nation's coat of arms, such as the one used on the book's cover, which no sensible person would mistake for the country's actual coat of arms.

According to his lawyer, Ivan Teng, Wong was held in custody for a day and might be released today and he eventually has after the completion of his remand period.