UMNO Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh has mixed feelings towards Yusoff Rawther who is embroiled in a sexual assault case against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, but he is not willing to offer support.
He stated that the reason for this is Yusoff’s previous open support for Israel, which alone meant that the young man would not receive much attention from UMNO Youth.
He was responding to Bersatu information chief Datuk Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz’s request for Akmal to comment on the young man who is battling it out in the courts against the most powerful man in Malaysia.
“Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz asked me about this, so here’s my response: I do feel sympathy, but I’m not a hypocrite like you and your friends. Honestly, anyone who openly supports Israel doesn’t deserve my comment or support.
“He is not worthy of my attention. When someone expresses open support for Israel, I believe there are many more individuals out there who deserve attention and advocacy from us,” he wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday (June 14).
Last week, the Kuala Lumpur High Court discharged and acquitted Yusoff of drug trafficking and possession of imitation pistols, sparking political reactions.
Akmal suggested the ruling might be a sign from God, linking it to Yusoff’s alleged past support for Israel amid ongoing Palestinian suffering.
“What he went through is just a small fraction — perhaps only 1% — of the oppression endured by our brothers and sisters in Palestine, who have suffered for decades under the cursed Zionist regime which he himself once supported.
“Hopefully, this incident will lead him to repentance and change his stance on supporting Israel,” he added. — June 15, 2025
