PAS is willing to meet US president Donald Trump to express its views concerning the conflict in Palestine when he is in Malaysia for the Asean Summit later this month.
However, PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said the party would proceed with holding a protest against inviting Trump to the summit.
“(The protest) will comprise Malaysians of various ethnicities. If Western communities are holding mass protests, then all the more should we.
“How can we welcome Trump, a man whose hands are stained with the blood of Palestinians? Does such a person deserve to be invited to the Asean Summit, when we are the Asean chair?” he said at a press conference at PAS’s headquarters here today.
Takiyuddin said most Malaysians would be unhappy with Trump’s visit because they sympathised with the plight of those in Gaza.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had previously defended the invitation to Trump, saying Malaysia had been outspoken in supporting Palestine and Gaza, and would use diplomatic channels to champion the cause.
He said Malaysia must also be “wise in making friends” and consider the country’s economic interests, particularly in high-tech exports.
PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said the justification for inviting the US president was weak and unreasonable, describing Trump as a “great devil”.
However, a leader of Urimai, a party friendly with Perikatan Nasional, said PAS should push for a meeting with Trump to convey the stance of Malaysians against Israel’s actions in Gaza.
