HAS Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim forgotten that the three-day Defence Services Asia (DSA) and National Security (NATSEC) Asia 2024 exhibitions that he officiated yesterday (May 6) boasts ties with companies that supply arms to Israel that may have been used to kill/injure Palestinians or destroy their properties?
Is this then not a reflection of the Madani government’s hypocrisy with regard to its Palestinian support and cause, asked a bewildered human rights activist and lawyer Charles Hector.
“More perplexing is that Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail seems to have confirmed the allegations by saying that the organisers should deal with the matter,” Hector penned in his latest blog.
“This is absurd given for the minister and the government should speedily deal with the issue.”
For context, the Sekretariat Solidariti Palestin (SSP) has hit out at the presence of major western defence contractors such as Lockheed Martin at a three-day defence and security exhibition which ends tomorrow (May 8).
The pro-Palestine movement has further named other companies such as MBDA (BAE Systems), Aim Point, Colt, L3Harris, Leupold, Shield AI and Leonardo as providing arms to Israel which it claimed “to have engaged in genocide and brutal killings of Palestinians”.
“How can Malaysia as a nation that boldly stands in solidarity with Palestine allow these companies to enter its borders and proudly display their weaponry that they supply to aid a genocide that is still on-going?” fumed the NGO in a statement.
In his retaliation, former twice premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has urged the government to tell the said arms manufacturers “to go home and leave Malaysia as soon as possible”.
“It is true that they have been present in previous exhibitions. But the situation this time is very unusual given the Zionist genocide against Palestine is so cruel and without the slightest bit of humanity,” lamented the nonagenarian who is a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause.
“Aren’t we allowing such companies to mock and make fun of all our efforts against the brutality of the Tel Aviv regime? We are seemingly conspiring with them to spill the blood of Palestinians including babies, children and other civilians.”
Delving further on the matter, Hector also expressed concern that Malaysia may have entered into agreement with companies that have supplied arms to Israel.
“Defence Minister Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin said the defence ministry is set to seal memorandums of understanding (MOUs) and contracts valued at RM6 bil during the event,” lamented the co-founder of NGO Malaysians Against Death Penalty and Torture (MADPET).
“Meanwhile, Home Minister Saifuddin has disclosed that his ministry would be entering into 14 agreements worth RM2.1 bil.”
Added Hector “Isn’t this an irony that at a time when Malaysians are boycotting numerous US brands because of the support rendered to Israel, Anwar’s PH (Pakatan Harapan)-led coalition has not only failed to immediately kick-out these arm suppliers from the exhibition but even gotten ministries to seal deal with such companies?” – May 7, 2024
Images credit: Anwar Ibrahin Facebook
