Hebrew sticker sparks outrage in Malaysia, draws warning from prime minister

A Hebrew-language sticker on a pickup truck has ignited public outrage in Malaysia, prompting a police investigation and a statement from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim warning against the use of Hebrew text or 'Israeli' symbols.

The controversy erupted after a viral TikTok video showed a pickup truck with a blue sticker reading “Malaysia Beytenu” (“Malaysia Our Home”). The video, which garnered tens of thousands of views, sparked accusations of 'Israeli' links in the Muslim-majority nation that has no diplomatic relations with ‘Israel’.

Police later identified the 59-year-old driver, who claimed he was an enthusiast of foreign languages and had altered an old sticker that originally read “Yisrael Beytenu” which is the name of an 'Israeli' political party. He claimed to have changed it to “Malaysia Beytenu” years ago and filed his own complaint after images of his car circulated online.

Prime Minister Anwar condemned the incident, saying that displaying Hebrew text or 'Israeli' flags “offends public sensitivities and violates Malaysia’s national policy.” He called on authorities to take action to prevent similar cases in the future.