KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 16 â The Malaysian Muslim Students Coalition (Gamis) today protested against Bruno Marsâ concert scheduled for tomorrow night at the National Stadium Bukit Jalil, citing his alleged support for Israel.
Gamis president Imran Sulaiman, speaking during the protest, said the coalition opposes anyone who supports Israel.
âWe oppose Israel, Israeli violence, and all individuals who are pro-Israel,â he said.
Imran also claimed that Gamis had submitted a memorandum to both the Youth and Sports Ministry and the Communications Ministry, calling for the concert to be cancelled.
âHowever, to this day, we have received no response. Itâs as if our voices have been silenced,â he added.
The American singer-songwriter, who has been accused of supporting Israel, performed in Tel Aviv as part of his ongoing world tour.
On June 21, concert organiser Live Nation announced that Bruno Mars would be performing a one-night show at the stadium tomorrow at 8.30pm. This will be his second performance in Malaysia, following his last concert in 2018.
Pro-Palestine activist M. Mythreyar also joined the protest, stating that those attending tomorrowâs Bruno Mars concert are siding with Israel.
âEvery moment, a Palestinian is being killed. Tomorrow, the concert will last for four hours, and those attending are pro-Israel. Who is welcoming him? Malaysians. While our people dance for four hours, Palestinians are being killed every moment.
âWe stand by our Prime Ministerâs stance: âLawan tetap lawan, berani kerana benarâ,â he said during his speech.
The protest, held in front of the Kuala Lumpur Sports City entrance arch, attracted around 60 attendees and lasted about 30 minutes.
Most of the protesters, wearing scarves with the Palestinian flag, held placards with slogans such as âI canât count on you, Bruno Mars,â âBruno Mars Pro-Zionist,â and âBantah Konsert Bruno Mars.â
Motorists stopped at the traffic lights nearby were seen looking at the placards.
The protest saw a notable police presence, with 30 officers on standby, along with black maria vehicles stationed across from the protest.
This was Gamisâ fourth and final protest after three consecutive days of demonstrations at Gate C of the National Stadium parking lot.