PU Rahmat apologises to Anwar over ‘fellow ex-prisoner’ joke, says no offence intended

SHAH ALAM - Independent preacher Rahmat Ikhsan, better known as PU Rahmat, has publicly apologised after making a joke in which he referred to himself and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as “fellow ex-prisoners” during the Solidarity Gathering with Gaza: Malaysia Wave, Free Palestine, at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil, last night.

The 32-year-old human rights activist issued his apology through a social media post, clarifying that the comment was never intended to offend anyone.

Rahmat added that he has since learned to be more cautious with his words, despite appreciating the Prime Minister’s easy-going nature.

“I apologise if the joke ‘fellow ex-prisoner’ was inappropriate, as PMX (Anwar) also made a similar joke about me. Sometimes, we need to learn from PMX, who has a great sense of humour.

“Still, I have also learned not to joke in that way again,” he said.

PU Rahmat has apologised after jokingly calling himself and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim “fellow ex-prisoners” during the Gaza Solidarity Gathering at Axiata Arena, last night. - Photo: X

The incident took place during the solidarity gathering to support Palestine where Rahmat had been given the honour of being the first activist to speak.

However, his offhand remark took the crowd by surprise when he joked that the similarity between him and the Prime Minister was that both had been imprisoned before.

Rahmat’s “ex-prisoner” reference alluded to his recent detention under Israeli custody, where he was among 23 Malaysian volunteers illegally arrested by Zionist forces during the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) humanitarian mission to Gaza.

He and his fellow volunteers were taken to Ketziot Prison in the Negev Desert, before being released.

During his speech at the gathering, Rahmat also shared what he experienced during his time under Israeli detention, recalling how the Israeli forces reacted aggressively upon seeing Malaysian passports.

“Insults would come out the moment they saw a Malaysian passport. When they asked for mine, I tried to hide it because I did not want to make things worse.

“But once they saw it, I heard them utter offensive remarks about our country. They were furious about our passport. To me, that was a form of victory,” he said.

He ended his speech by expressing his respect for the Prime Minister and promising to be more mindful of his words in future public appearances.