KUALA LUMPUR – A local author is on the receiving end of fiery online comments due to his claims that Malaysia’s animosity towards Israel is due to the spread of misinformation propagated by “radicals”.
In an interview with Israeli-Jewish social media personality Hananya Naftali, Victor Yong Jen Ong, who claims to be based in Johor, asserted that “professional terror operations” by Palestinian organisations Fatah and Hamas have instilled “hatred” against Israel among the people here.
Yong, who is believed to be the figure behind the blogsite named ‘China Chooses Israel’, also alleged that the supposed misinformation has “corrupted the Malaysian mindset” to turn citizens here against Israel.
However, when asked by Naftali on when Malaysia and Israel will “see peace”, Yong said: “Malaysia and Israel are at peace because the Malay people are very kind people.”
“Unlike the radical Arab terrorists, the Malays have accommodated multiple ethnic groups in Malaysia and therefore, peace is really here at our doorstep,” he added, noting that from an economic standpoint, both nations can benefit “a lot” from each other.
Yong also advocated for an Israeli Embassy to be established in Malaysia to “bring much culture to Malaysia concerning Jewish people (and) enlighten all of us to what the truth actually is.”
The interview clip, which was posted by Naftali on his X (formerly Twitter) account today, has garnered much brickbats from Malaysian users, some of whom labelled the video as a “desperate” bid to spread pro-Israel propaganda.
Other users also called on leaders and local authorities to investigate the video.
For intsance, one user who carries the handle @prettylupins urged Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim to look into the matter.
In a reply to Naftali’s post, another user, @incheirsyad, tagged Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, his ministry and the Royal Malaysia Police while including a screenshot of Yong’s supposed contact details, which are available on the ‘China Chooses Israel’ blog.
User, @ckliio9, said that while they are willing to allow people to develop their own opinions, Yong’s claim that Malaysians are being fed the wrong narrative is “downright condescending and stupid.”
Besides that, user @maliqueredzuan pointed to how Harma Zulkifa Deraman was recently sentenced to a six-month jail sentence and fined RM500 after he was charged under the National Emblems (Control of Display) Act 1949 for flying the Israeli flag in a public place.
The user questioned whether the law could be used against Yong as he had displayed the Jalur Gemilang alongside the Israeli flag in the video clip.
While not much information about Yong is availabe online, a book description of his 2020 novel ‘Daughter of Palestine’ posted on Amazon described him as a “Malaysian and descendant of a six-hundred year-old overseas Chinese community.”
The description also notes Yong as a being critical of the Communist Democratic movement and serving in political advocacy for right-of-center coalitions in Malaysia.
Yong also reportedly has qualifications from Harvard University and in corporate governance from the Federation University in Australia.
The plot of ‘Daughter of Palestine’ is set against the backdrop of a seminar in Malaysia, where a Chinese man and Palestinian woman who met had affected “each other’s lives in significant and unexpected ways.”
For the record, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been outspoken in his condemnation of the carnage in the Gaza Strip amid Israel’s relentless air and ground attack.
During the Apec Economic Leaders’ Informal Dialogue and Working Lunch in the presence of US President Joe Biden and the rest of the leaders from member economies last month, Anwar described the situation in Gaza as an “abandonment of moral responsibility.”
The number of fatalities since Israel attacked Gaza on October 7 has increased to 15,523 people, 70% of whom are women and children. – December 4, 2023