Home at last: Family members of the GSF activists waiting for their loved ones at the arrival gate of KLIA last night. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star
SEPANG: The 23 Malaysians who were part of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) returned home to an emotional welcome.
The aircraft TK342 landed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport at about 10pm last night from Istanbul, Turkiye.
The activists, who looked spirited despite their ordeal in Israel, made their way to the arrival lobby at Terminal 1, where their families, friends and hundreds of supporters were eagerly waiting.
The first to come out, leading the group, was Muhammad Abdullah, otherwise known as Ustaz Mad Kecik.
They were received by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Dr Zulkifli Hassan and Federal Territory Mufti Datuk Ahmad Fauwaz Fadzil.
They were then ushered into waiting buses and brought to hotels to rest, said a Wisma Putra spokesman.
On Oct 2, the Malaysians were detained by Israel after the ships they were on were intercepted while in the Red Zone in the Mediterranean Sea and taken to the port of Ashdod, Israel.
The vessels were part of a flotilla of 42 ships with 450 activists from 47 countries carrying humanitarian aid.
They were later released and departed from Ramon Airport, Israel at 6.45pm Malaysian time on Oct 5 before being deported to Istanbul.
The Malaysians detained were singer Heliza Helmi and her sister Nur Hazwani Afiqah (who was on board the vessel Hio); Nurfarahin Romli (Farah Lee) and Danish Nazran Murad (Grande Blu); singer Zizi Kirana (Huga); Musa Nuwayri, Iylia Balqis and Sul Aidil (Alma); Haikal Abdullah, Muaz Zainal, Zulfadhli Khiruddin and Rusydi Ramli (Sirius); Razali Awang (Inana); influencer Nurul Hidayah Mohd Amin or Ardell Aryana (Mikeno); PU Rahmat, Norhelmi Ab Ghani, Mohd Asmawi Mukhtar and Norazman Ishak (Estrella); Zainal Rashid and Ustaz Muhammad Abdullah (Fair Lady); as well as Muhammad Hareez Adzrami or Haroqs, Muhd Haikal Luqman Zulkefli and Taufiq Mohd Razif (Free Willy).
