PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang today questioned Malaysia’s justification for inviting US president Donald Trump to next month’s Asean Summit, calling it weak and unreasonable.
Describing Trump as a “great devil”, Hadi said his administration had repeatedly vetoed United Nations Security Council resolutions to hold Israel accountable for its actions and supplied banned weapons now being used in Gaza.
The Marang MP also accused Trump of trying to influence Muslim and Arab leaders into “bowing to him”.
“When our country invites Trump to build friends and alliances, it is concerning. He is clearly complicit with Israel in committing extreme atrocities against our brothers in Palestine, particularly in Gaza,” he said in a Facebook post today.
Hadi added that Israel’s actions were being increasingly criticised worldwide, including by non-Muslim countries and US citizens.
“Therefore, the justification for inviting Trump to the Asean Summit to ‘broaden friendships’, while Malaysia maintains a firm stance defending Palestine, is weak and cannot be accepted by sound reasoning,” he said.
He also cited Islamic teachings and the Prophet Muhammad’s guidance on choosing companions carefully, warning against aligning with those who support injustice.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had defended Trump’s invitation, saying Malaysia had been outspoken in supporting Palestine and Gaza and would use diplomatic channels to champion the cause.
He added that Malaysia must be “wise in making friends” and consider the country’s economic interests, particularly in high-tech exports.
As Asean chair, Malaysia is set to host the 47th Asean Summit from Oct 26 to Oct 28, with invitations extended to several world leaders including Russian president Vladimir Putin, Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and South African president Cyril Ramaphosa.
Diplomatic invitations are routine for such regional summits.
