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By Mihar Dias October 2025
Donald J. Trump is coming to Kuala Lumpur for the ASEAN Summit, and suddenly our streets are about to become a stage. Forget Broadway this is a new production starring PAS, Umno Youth, and one very reluctant guest star from Mar-a-Lago.
PAS has already rehearsed its lines. Secretary-General Takiyuddin Hassan declared that Trump’s “hands are stained with Palestinian blood” and warned that if the former U.S. president refuses to meet them, a “massive rally” will greet him instead. https://newswav.com/A2510_mmAbsG?s=A_PADBdj5&language=en
One can almost imagine the posters already being printed: “Welcome to Malaysia, Mr. Trump—kindly report to PAS HQ or else.”
Umno Youth, never one to be left out of the limelight, has its own act. Its chief, Dr. Akmal Saleh, announced that unless Malaysian activists detained in Israel are freed, Umno Youth will stage nationwide demonstrations. https://newswav.com/A2510_TByhwa?s=A_eN34ntd&language=en
The problem? Trump doesn’t run Israeli prisons. But who cares about logistics when the stage lights are on?
Here’s the inconvenient truth: Trump doesn’t bow to NATO, the UN, or even American courts. The idea that he’ll buckle under the pressure of a few thousand demonstrators in Kuala Lumpur is—how shall we put it?—optimistic.
At best, Trump will shrug. At worst, he’ll enjoy the spectacle, tweet about “fake protests in Malaysia,” and move on to dinner.
But this isn’t about Trump, not really. It’s about PAS proving it’s the loudest voice for Palestine, and Umno Youth reminding us that it still knows how to shout on the streets.
Both wings need to show they can channel public anger, even if their demands have zero chance of swaying U.S. foreign policy.
So yes, when Trump lands, Kuala Lumpur may look less like a diplomatic capital and more like a street theatre festival—PAS waving placards, Umno Youth shouting slogans, and Trump playing the aloof VIP who ignores them all.
In the end, the protests won’t change Trump’s mind, but they will serve their real purpose: a performance for Malaysian voters.
After all, in our politics, the rally is the message, and the street is the stage.
Mihar Dias (mihardias@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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