KOTA BHARU - A youth group in Kelantan has apologised for raising the Israeli flag during a solidarity event for Gaza, saying it was part of a re-enactment and not meant to offend anyone.
Pertubuhan Anak Muda Bangkit Malaysia, the organiser of the "500 Pelayaran Solidariti Kelantan untuk Gaza" programme held last Friday, issued the apology through a three-minute-and-22-second TikTok video on Sunday night.
Programme director Mohd Khairul Hafiz Hassan said the flag-raising was part of a simulation recreating what happened to the Global Sumud Flotilla volunteers and not intended to cause offence.
"I apologise if anyone had misunderstood the performance gimmick that took place that day. I also take full responsibility for organising this event," he said in the video.
The video has since been viewed more than 123,000 times and received almost 600 comments.
The youth group had previously explained that the flag was used only for re-enactment purposes during the solidarity voyage, not as a sign of support for the Israeli regime.
The programme, co-organised with Komuniti Floating Market Sri Tanjung, faced widespread criticism online after a video clip showing a boat displaying the Israeli flag went viral.
Khairul added that many who criticised the act were not present at the event and did not witness the full context of the performance.
"Those who attended know what actually happened. The Israeli flag was part of a re-enactment of the scene involving volunteers during their mission to deliver aid to the people of Palestine," he said.
He also said the organisation was ready to cooperate with authorities should an investigation be carried out on the issue.