Conservative pundit, former gaming journalist and present Elon Musk "reply guy" Ian Miles Cheong apparently found himself in hot water recently after a petty Twitter / X exposé bled onto the pages of a mainstream Malaysian newspaper.
While Cheong spends most of his time online commentating on American socio-political issues, the thread brought to light that his views may not gel well with the politics of the country in which he actually resides, Malaysia.
After Cheong's repeated pro-Israel comments were highlighted in the New Straits Times amid the ongoing war, many internet users began to express their concern that Cheong may be liable to be prosecuted for sedition in his majority Muslim home nation of Malaysia.
These initial concerns quickly spiraled into a cross-internet spree of people either cheering on Cheong's potential capital punishment or falsely eulogizing his "untimely death."
Here's a recap of everything that led up to the Ian Miles Cheong death hoax of 2024.
Who Is Ian Miles Cheong?
Ian Miles Cheong is a right-wing political commentator largely known for his conservative views on the internet. Cheong first grew an audience in the early 2010s as a video game journalist and as the editor of the gaming site Gameranx, while also moderating several large subreddits.
However, he lost his moderatorships after it came to light that he was in a positiontrum he was taking money from media companies to promote their content as a "Social Media Consultant."
In the latter half of the 2010s, Cheong continued to grow an audience as a conservative Trump supporter on X under the handle @stillgray. Since 2017, he's worked for the Daily Caller, a website co-founded by broadcast journalist Tucker Carlson. His commentary on U.S. politics is often undercut by people pointing out the fact that Cheong is a Malaysian native and resident.
In February 2024, an anti-Israel troll account called @CensoredMen posted a long thread criticizing Cheong and breaking down his career from his beginnings in video game journalism through his current status as a conservative X personality. @CensoredMen also pointed out Cheong's pro-Israel posting, arguing it went against the values of most Malaysians, who are three-quarters Muslim.
Why Are People Saying That Cheong Might Get Charged With Sedition Or Even Executed?
Soon after @CensoredMen's post, Malaysian newspaper New Straits Times published an article about Cheong titled, "Netizens demand action against controversial Pro-Israeli political online influencer Ian Miles Cheong." The article cited Malaysian nationals who have called on their government to prosecute Cheong under the country's Sedition Act, given Cheong's history of defending the Israeli state.
Ian Miles Cheong issued a statement to the New Straits Times denying that he expresses pro-Israel views. He said, "My views on the matter have been very nuanced contrary to the regurgitated baseless claims about my past from unreliable far left-wing and transgender sources who have been literally trolling me for years due to my conservative views."
Cheong also posted a timely endorsem*nt of Malaysia to his X account on February 10th, saying, "I actually love my country. The food is great, it’s peaceful, and it’s a strong conservative nation."
X user @Sturgeons_Law noted that Cheong's decision to endorse Malaysia and deny Zionist affiliations may have something to do with Malaysia's history of executing people for sedition. X user @DrewPavlou made a similar post that day, adding that he hopes Elon Musk "choppers" him out of Kuala Lumpur before it's "too late."
Where Did The Rumors About Cheong Being Executed Via Brazen Bull Begin?
Following the discourse in early February 2024, various internet users posted mocking celebrations at the possibility that Ian Miles Cheong may face capital punishment for his internet posting record.
me watching the ian miles cheong pubIic execution https://t.co/DG5pX2hGzF pic.twitter.com/v8ChkpAfoo
— brandon* (@brndxix) February 12, 2024
But the specific rumor about Cheong's death-by-bronze-bull stems from a February 14th post by an X user that wrote, "🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨 Ian Miles Cheong is set to be publicly executed February 15. In a stunning turn of events, the Malaysian government has voted unanimously to use the Brazen Bull as the method of execution."
What Sparked The Ian Miles Cheong Death Hoax?
Rumors about Cheong's death were largely fueled by people making morbid jokes at his expense. One X user went so far as to eulogize the chronic poster in the form of a dated black-and-white photo.
But according to Cheong, this isn't the first time he has been the subject of a death hoax.
For the full history of Ian Miles Cheong's sedition rumors, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.
