Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim has criticised Southeast Asian leaders for what he described as a shameful display of deference toward United States President Donald Trump during his arrival at the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur.
In a scathing statement, Zaid accused regional leaders of “making fools of themselves” by organising a grand ceremonial welcome for a leader he believes bears responsibility for widespread global suffering. He argued that ASEAN’s enthusiastic reception of Trump revealed a troubling willingness to appease power rather than uphold principles of justice and human dignity.
According to Zaid, the American president’s record speaks for itself — from the reduction of foreign aid that once supported millions of impoverished communities under USAID, to the administration’s alleged role in enabling humanitarian crises across conflict zones. He cited the staggering death toll in Gaza, which he claimed exceeded 67,000 lives within twenty months, and condemned Washington’s complicity in wars that devastated Yemen and other sovereign nations.
He further accused Trump of undermining international law and diplomacy, asserting that the U.S. leader had “destroyed the United Nations and the world order established after World War II.” Zaid also criticised America’s failure to hold Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accountable before the International Court of Justice, calling it an abandonment of the moral standards that once guided global governance.
The former minister expressed disbelief at ASEAN’s readiness to welcome Trump with pomp and ceremony despite these alleged transgressions. To him, the gesture reflected hypocrisy and moral bankruptcy — a diplomatic culture that prizes superficial unity over moral conviction.
Embracing leaders responsible for violence and oppression, under the guise of regional diplomacy, erodes ASEAN’s credibility and betrays the principles of peace and sovereignty it claims to uphold.
Zaid’s remarks underscore growing frustration among some Malaysian political observers who view ASEAN’s diplomatic engagements as lacking moral substance — particularly when it comes to confronting global superpowers accused of human rights abuses.
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