Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim today expressed support for action against the parties involved in waving Israeli flags at a flotilla convoy at Sungai Kelantan last Friday.
Anwar said stern action must be taken to serve as a lesson and prevent the flag from being waved in Malaysia again.
“I agree with the police taking the necessary action… no matter the excuse given (by the organisers), I agree that action must be taken so that such an incident will not occur again,” he told the Dewan Rakyat.
He was responding to Shahar Abdullah (BN-Paya Besar) who had asked if action would be taken over the issue.
More than 1,000 boats took part in the 8km convoy in support of Palestine last Friday. At least one boat was flying Israeli flags, with passengers acting as Israeli forces with “detainees” on board.
The convoy organisers said it was merely a re-enactment and simulation of what had happened to the participants of the Global Sumud Flotilla.
The event’s director, Khairul Hafiz Hassan, said they had no intention of glorifying Israel but only wanted to give those attending an accurate re-enactment of the situation faced by participants of the humanitarian mission.
He later apologised for raising the Israeli flag.
Police have launched an investigation under Section 3(1) of the National Emblems (Control of Display) Act 1949 for displaying the emblems of other countries in public.
