Should cops pick a bone with motorist over Hebrew bumper sticker “Malaysia in our hands”?

 

Should cops pick a bone with motorist over Hebrew bumper sticker “Malaysia in our hands”?

HOW to turn the tables and make a point, albeit controversially.


As more right-wing nationalists turn up the heat with accusations of non-Malays being Zionists for their perceived silence on the Gaza conflict, one citizen decided to hit back by displaying a bumper sticker with Hebrew text.


However, instead of it bearing a pro-Israeli message, it was revealed that the text purportedly translates to “Malaysia is our home”.

But the police who received a report at 3.32pm on Oct 7 from Hairul Amin Madon who is the religious special officer to the Melaka Chief Minister beg to differ.

Vanakkam Malaysia

on Tuesday

Police investigating pickup truck with “Israel” sticker in Melaka

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Investigations showed that the vehicle was registered under the name of a man with an address in Gemencheh, Negeri Sembilan, according to Melaka police chief Datuk Dzulkhairi Mukhtar.

“Initial investigations found that the text roughly translates to ‘Malaysia is our home/Malaysia in our hands’. Following this, police opened an investigation under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code for causing fear or public alarm,” he pointed out in a statement.

Additionally, investigations are also being conducted under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for improper use of network or telecommunication services.

A video clip of the Isuzu pick-up truck bearing a Melaka registration plate was first highlighted on Hairul’s Threads app.

Differing meaning

Tamil online daily site Vanakkam Malaysia which featured the vehicle on its Facebook page with a one-liner “Police Investigating Pick-Up Truck with Israeli Sticker in Melaka” drew plenty of attention, not least from those who automatically equate anything remotely linked to Israel as ‘Zionist’.

One commenter pointed out that a simple application of modern tech would have revealed the meaning of the text, thus avoiding yet more unnecessary drama.

It was claimed that Malziyah Beitenu translated to “Malaysia is our home” which certainly was not in any way offensive at all.

However, this was seized upon by those who thought differently. One commenter queried who exactly reads Hebrew here. Perhaps missing the point, he suggested that the patriotic message be in Bahasa Malaysia.

It was also postulated that this was a case of homophones where words that sound the same but have different meanings. One commenter claimed that malziyah did not necessarily mean Malaysia but rather ‘laziness’ or more akin to the local slang of lepak (loitering). He admonished other netizens for making assumptions.

The many “excuses” justifying this Hebrew bumper sticker was equated with the controversy surrounding the introduction of Jawi in schools.

It was argued that similarly, Jawi was just a language tool and not necessarily Islamic in nature. This commenter added that Malaysia has always been against the formation of the Jewish state and queried the obvious provocation of displaying Hebrew text.

Subtle retaliation

This storm in a teacup highlights a number of issues.

Firstly, it would appear that the owner of the truck was trying to make a point in the very heated scenario where non-Muslims in Malaysia are being labelled “Zionists”.

By displaying a bumper sticker with Hebrew text that purportedly carries a patriotic declaration is a subtle hint in itself – “not all non-Muslims are pro-Zionists”. Do not be so hasty to pass judgement seems to be the message here.

Secondly, even if the truck owner was oblivious to its meaning, displaying Hebrew text should NOT be in itself a crime.

Even though the case is being investigated under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code for causing fear or public alarm, is there really a case to answer?

This is where a culture of hate starts to ferment when anything remotely linked to Israel or Jewish culture is deemed evil and should be erased.

Thirdly, how is this any different from the bumper stickers that carry Nazi symbol of an inverted swastika?

Some Malaysians adorn their vehicles and helmets with such symbol, of which could even more offensive than an alleged proclamation of “Malaysia is my home” in Hebrew (bearing in mind that the police probe will most likely centre on the more insulting meaning – “Malaysia in our hands”).

If indeed there are Malaysians who take offence at this sticker, just ponder for one moment what it feels like to be unfairly labelled ‘Zionist’ for simply being a non-Muslim Malaysian. – Oct 9, 2025