Speaking to Anadolu after arriving in Istanbul on a special flight, Agostino said he and fellow passengers were kidnapped and subjected to “humiliating” conditions. Read the whole hit piece here....
To the 20 Malaysians arrested by the IDF: A Few Awkward Questions
You’ve had your fifteen minutes of fame — the same lines, the same tears, the same perfectly steady handheld framing over surprisingly calm seas. Before the Rakyat starts fundraising for your second “rescue” voyage, we need a few inconvenient facts. Transparency is charity too — or so you claimed you were bringing.
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| A wounded Israeli soldier |
1. Did you know that Malaysian passports effectively forbid travel to Israel except with special permission? Yes or no. No euphemisms.
2. If you knew, did you choose to break that law anyway, or were you simply careless with your travel documents? Either answer will do — but own it.
3. When exactly did you plan this trip, and who briefed you first? A WhatsApp group, an NGO, a political cell, or a weekend pub chat? Names and dates please.
4. Did any of you study geography? Because Gaza has no usable commercial port. How exactly were you planning to unload “aid” — by magic? By raft? By very enthusiastic handover to… whom?
5. Were you employed? Who approved two months off for this sudden seafaring pilgrimage? If your boss signed the leave, do tell us which boss — or was your employer conveniently unavailable?
6. How did you afford this expedition? Did wealthy patrons fund your holiday, or did you crowdfund the voyage from people who thought they were buying food, not PR? Please list donors or the crowdfunding link.
7. How much food did you actually pack? A humanitarian load, or a picnic or for a movie? Exact quantities, or at least whether you planned for three meals a day for a month or two.
8. Did you pack enough food for the return? Or were you counting on being airlifted home with a press conference framed as “victimhood”?
9. Your detention video was suspiciously steady for open sea footage — who filmed it and when? Was the clip prepared beforehand or posted live as events unfolded?
10. Finally: who wrote the script? You all recited the same lines with unnerving synchronicity. Is there a speechwriter? A PR agency? An organizational handbook on how to behave dramatically on camera?
Malaysians have a right to know whether this was a sincere — if naïve — humanitarian effort, or a well-orchestrated publicity tour with the rhetorical trappings of altruism. If you were honest humanitarians, answer clearly and publicly. If someone else financed, scripted, or briefed you, name them now — the people who funded your trip owe an explanation to the donors who believed they were buying food, not optics.
If you wish to clear your names, a simple, unvarnished reply will do. Post it where we can all read it. Say who paid for the boat. Say who told you Gaza had a functioning port. Say whether you knew you were breaking Malaysian law when you got on that boat. No speeches. No camera-ready pauses. Just facts.
The Rakyat is ready to plan a second attempt — but we will not be financing publicity stunts dressed up as humanitarianism. If you were genuine, show us. If you were complicit in anything else, now is the time to be honest: either with your fellow citizens, or with your conscience.
Signed,
A sceptical Malaysian
#AnwarIbrahim
