Former parliamentarian Tian Chua, representing the activist group Secretariat of Solidarity with Palestine (SSP), also spoke. He declared the protests were partly to show that ASEAN “values humanity and independence” for Palestine.
“We must be (in) solidarity with the Palestinians in their journey. Doesn’t matter which race, religion, it’s about humanity,” said Chua, a former Member of Parliament from Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat.
PAS earlier told CNA it was targeting 10,000 attendees for Friday’s event.
The Islamist party acknowledged that some have lauded Trump for playing a key role in brokering the ongoing ceasefire in Gaza, but argued that the US has given “extraordinary support” to the “Zionist regime” since Trump returned to the White House.
“An exceptional amount of foreign military aid has been channelled within just a few months of Trump’s return for this term,” PAS’ spokesperson said, referring to how the Trump administration has sold Israel weapons and military equipment.
The Gaza ceasefire agreement, a key part of Trump’s 20-point plan to end the Gaza war, went into effect on Oct 10. It remains fragile amid disputes over the pace of hostage and body exchanges and the delivery of humanitarian aid.
The two-year conflict started when Hamas launched its deadly attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and abducting around 250 hostages.
Israel’s devastating retaliatory campaign in Gaza has killed more than 67,000 people and displaced nearly the entire population, according to Palestinian health authorities.
Source: CNA
