SHAH ALAM – They do not need to be on the boat to be famous, but the voices of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) activists have proven loud enough to spark international attention and advocacy for Palestine.
For Iylia Balqis Suhaimi, a Malaysian activist who joined the mission, criticism and scrutiny were always part of the mission and in her view, a sign that the message was reaching far and wide.
“Criticism is the very best thing to spread awareness.
“When people criticise, it means our job is not done yet. People have misconceptions because we are not portraying things very well. But we have support from Malaysia, the criticism is just a very small group and we shouldn’t focus on them,” she said during Sinar Daily's Palestinian Diaries podcast, recently.
Iylia noted that some doubted the involvement of women and influencers in the flotilla, questioning whether it was necessary or simply a bid for publicity.
“We have Zizi Kirana, a famous singer, Arina, a well-known actor and PU Rahmat, a preacher.
“They don’t need to be on the boat to be famous. They have been in this arena for more than five years and have already been critiqued. They don’t even care about the critique,” she said.
She pointed out that even though the humanitarian aid was stuck in Israel and the team did not enter Gaza, the mission had already achieved its goal of breaking the silence.
Public discussion about Palestine has grown, the ceasefire is underway and advocacy efforts were gaining momentum due to the voices of GSF activists.
She also emphasised that women activists played a crucial role in providing emotional and human connections needed during the mission.
“People were asking if women were needed. Where were you when we needed support? The people facing genocide are women and babies. We are there to comfort them. It’s not a question of necessity, it’s about presence and empathy,” she added.
She highlighted that the flotilla’s mission went beyond the boat itself, highlighting the critical role of real-time social media updates in connecting Malaysians to the struggles of Palestinians.
The posts were not meant to glorify the activists or claim humanitarian superiority, but to give the public a glimpse of what Palestinians endured.
When Palestinians were released from prison, Malaysians could relate to their hardships because the flotilla members had faced similar experiences, being blindfolded and detained, though they were fortunate to return home, she said.
Iylia also noted the importance of Sumud Nusantara, the Malaysian command centre, which tracked the flotilla’s movements from Barcelona to Tunisia, Italy and Greece in real time.
She said with four million Malaysians following the tracker, doubts about the mission’s authenticity were dispelled.
Spending 30 to 35 days at sea was no act, she said adding that the mission was never about fame or popularity.
“Influencers have audiences and with that comes responsibility. It’s not about being popular, it’s about using the following to advocate for Palestine.
“Our voices are reaching people who would otherwise remain silent,” she said.
GSF remains a testament to the power of activism, showing that courage, advocacy and collaboration can break silence and ignite global awareness, even amidst criticism.