KUALA LUMPUR – Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Malaysia has urged the government to cancel Bruno Mars’ upcoming concert, scheduled for September 17 at Bukit Jalil National Stadium, due to his alleged backing of the Israeli regime.
BDS secretary Farwina Faroque said the organisation does not welcome the singer’s presence in the country due to his clear support of Israel.
“We urge the government, human rights bodies, business organisations, and individuals in Malaysia to join hands in rejecting performances by individuals who openly support the Israeli regime, which has been committing humanitarian crimes against the Palestinian people for eight months.
“Given that he proudly supports the Israeli apartheid regime and disregarded calls from Jewish Voice for Peace, an organisation that supports the BDS movement, to not hold a concert in Israel last October,” she said.
Farwina said that until now, the artist has not condemned the genocide occurring in Gaza.
“When he does not condemn the genocide, it is considered that he does not care or, worse, supports it.
“We will support the efforts of individuals or other organisations in Malaysia that align with our mission to initiate petitions or other efforts to urge Bruno Mars to express support for Palestine.
“We want every level of society to think twice before making any decisions that negatively impact the oppressed,” she added.
BDS hopes that the effort to boycott Bruno Mars will impact influential individuals, such as international artists who support the Zionist regime in the future.
Yesterday, concert organiser Live Nation Malaysia disabled the comment section of its Instagram post announcing Bruno Mars’ upcoming show in Kuala Lumpur.
This comes after a surge of complaints from netizens accusing the pop star of being pro-Zionist and calling for a boycott of his concert here.
On June 21, concert organiser Live Nation Malaysia announced that the 14-time Grammy award-winning artist was coming to Kuala Lumpur as part of his “24K Magic” concert tour. This would be his first time in the country in six years.
Previously, BDS Malaysia also expressed disappointment with the decision of the nation’s number one singer, Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza, to perform in Jakarta at the Hitman Returns: David Foster and Friends concert. – June 26, 2024