KUALA LUMPUR – Thousands of Malaysians packed the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil this evening for a mass rally in support of Palestine, as the country reaffirmed its solidarity with Gaza amid Israel’s ongoing bombardment.
The event, titled Himpunan Solidariti Bersama Gaza: Gelombang Malaysia, Palestin Merdeka, saw participants dressed in white – symbolising peace and unity – waving Palestinian flags and chanting “Free Palestine”.
Banners with messages such as “Don’t stop talking about Palestine” were held aloft by attendees determined to keep global attention on what they called Israeli atrocities, reported Bernama.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the patron of Sumud Nusantara, joined the gathering to deliver a keynote address after the presentation of a memorandum from the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), which recently returned from a humanitarian mission to Gaza.
“Tonight, we show the world that Malaysians stand united with Palestine,” said one attendee, civil servant Mohd Kamal Hashim, who joined the rally with 40 colleagues.
University student Siti Masruhah Dahli, 22, said she hoped the gathering would ignite greater empathy among Malaysians. “This is about humanity, not just politics,” she told reporters.
The rally also featured a special prayer session for Gaza, poetry recitation by broadcaster Ahmad Fedtri Yahya, and performances by Munsyid Malaysia.
Members of the GSF delegation, including Cinta Gaza Malaysia chief executive Muhammad Nadir Al-Nuri Kamaruzaman and celebrities Ardell Aryana, Heliza Helmi, and Zizi Kirana, shared accounts of their voyage and detention by Israeli forces.
For some, the rally was a deeply personal statement. “I think a lot of people don’t realise there’s a genocide happening,” said Nazmil Mohamad, 21, a student from Kerala, India. “They are trying to normalise it. There’s no humanity at all.”
Malaysia has long been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause. Anwar said the gathering was not only to welcome home the flotilla mission participants but also to strengthen national resolve in opposing Israel’s actions.
Israel’s military assault on Gaza, which began in October 2023, has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians, the majority women and children, while leaving the enclave’s infrastructure in ruins. About 2.1 million people now face critical shortages of food, water and medical care. — October 8, 2025