Rayer questions opposition's silence on Israeli flag at Kelantan rally

Rayer questions opposition's silence on Israeli flag at Kelantan rally


Published: Oct 12, 2025 3:29 PM
Updated: 6:29 PM


DAP lawmaker RSN Rayer has questioned the opposition’s silence on Israeli flags being flown at a pro-Palestine solidarity event at the Kelantan River last week, which has drawn widespread criticism from netizens.

In a Facebook post today, the Jelutong MP highlighted the “double standards” from the opposition, and urged authorities to take action against displays of the Israeli flag at the Oct 10 event.

“There is a deafening silence from the opposition. Where is PAS? Where is Bersatu? Why the silence? Is it because it took place in Kelantan?

“How did this happen? Imagine if this had happened in Penang,” he said, hinting at an incident from August when Umno and Bersatu youth joined forces to protest against a shopkeeper who had mistakenly hung an upside-down Jalur Gemilang in Penang.

“Why the double standards. Why has no action been taken against those who flew the Israeli flags at Sungai Kelantan until now? Authorities must act fast. No double standards,” Rayer added.

Last Friday, “500 Boats Kelantan Solidarity Voyage for Gaza”, co-organised by the Sri Tanjung Floating Market Community and various NGOs, saw more than 10,000 participants, including fisherfolk, boat owners, and the public.

However, in videos circulating on social media, several boats were seen flying the Israeli flag, receiving widespread backlash from netizens.

Clarifications

The organisers have since clarified that the Israeli flag was flown “as a gimmick” to re-enact the intimidation faced by Global Sumud Flotilla volunteers from Israeli authorities.

Spokesperson Khairul Hafiz Hassan from youth group Pertubuhan Anak Muda Bangkit Malaysia further explained that it was only meant to be a “simulation”, with no intention to offend.

kt asks: what gimmick? was there any Israeli sampan in the Flotilla?

“People should not judge the situation solely based on video snippets circulating on social media. Many of those negative comments were from those who were not even present at the event in the first place,” he was quoted as saying in Sinar Harian.

“Those who were there knew what happened. The Israeli flag was flown to re-enact the situation which happened to the flotilla volunteers during their humanitarian mission.”

The Global Sumud Flotilla humanitarian mission involved about 150 activists from 25 countries aboard nine ships, which were intercepted by Israeli forces last week, when they were only less than 120 nautical miles away from Gaza.

Malaysian Global Sumud Flotilla volunteers safely home


The volunteers had been detained and subjected to blindfolding, tight handcuffs, inadequate clothing, and physical abuse before eventually being deported.

On Friday, the Foreign Ministry announced that nine Malaysian volunteers from the humanitarian mission had been released and evacuated from Israel.

They will receive medical evaluation in Turkey before being flown back to Malaysia.