PUTRAJAYA, Oct 10 — The government is actively pursuing efforts to secure the immediate and unconditional release of the nine Malaysian nationals and participants of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) and Thousand Madleens To Gaza (TMTG) mission, who have been illegally detained by the Israeli regime since October 8.
The Foreign Ministry in a statement yesterday said efforts are also being undertaken through Malaysian embassies in Amman and Ankara, as well as through international legal teams to ensure consular access to the detained Malaysians, and their swift and safe repatriation to Malaysia.
The government is mobilising these efforts in cooperation with friendly countries, in particular Türkiye, it added.
“All nine Malaysians are reported to be in good health. The safety and welfare of all Malaysian citizens remain the utmost priority of the Government,” the statement read.
However, earlier reports said several non-Malaysian activists were roughed up and physically abused during and after the interception by the Israeli military.
Humanitarian Care Malaysia (MyCARE) chief executive officer Kamarul Zaman Shaharul Anwar said a Legal Centre for Arab Minority Rights (Adalah) lawyer said that the activists were kicked, slapped and aggressively held, and that they received harsh treatment similar to that of the Global Sumud Flotilla participants
“Nine Malaysian activists have been confirmed to be uninjured but MyCARE has arranged further checks immediately upon their release to ensure they are in good health,” he said at a media conference on the latest developments on FFC in Serdang last night.
Seven Malaysian activists have signed deportation letters, while the status of two other activists remain unknown, he said, adding that MyCARE was still waiting for a report from ADALAH lawyers and the tribunal is expected to end at midnight Malaysian time.
Kamarul Zaman also stressed that all FFC-TMTG activists, who are medical doctors and international journalists, only brought humanitarian aid to be handed to the people of Gaza and were not terrorists as reported by Israel.
“They are not carrying weapons, but hope, medicine and care for the Palestinian people, especially in Gaza, who have long endured suffering.”
The entire humanitarian mission involved about 150 activists from 25 countries aboard nine ships.
