KUALA LUMPUR: A coalition of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) protested the participation of several international defence companies at the Defence Services Asia (DSA) and National Security (Natsec) Asia 2026 exhibition here.
The group gathered outside the south gate of the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) on Monday (April 20) morning.
Some of them held placards denouncing war crimes and criticising the participation of several foreign companies alleged to have links to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) Malaysia chairman Nazari Ismail and Palestinian Solidarity Secretariat member Tian Chua later handed over a memorandum to DSA executive director Nadzeem Abdul Rahman.
Nazari said companies that supply weapons to Israel should not be invited to participate in DSA and Natsec Asia, adding that such invitations were seen as an endorsement and a lack of objection to their alleged involvement in the Gaza conflict.
"The organisers invited companies complicit in genocide in Gaza, calling them criminals who helped Israel kill over 72,000 Palestinians by supplying weapons, including bombs that have torn apart children’s bodies.
"We demand that these companies not be invited again as long as they remain involved in genocide," he told a press conference after the memorandum was submitted.
Among other things, the group urged organisers to issue a public statement affirming their commitment to international law, and establish a mechanism based on United Nations findings and human rights reports to assess exhibitors’ participation in future events.
Meanwhile, former MP and activist Tian Chua said the group only opposed the participation of companies allegedly involved in the Gaza genocide, and was not against the exhibition itself.
"So I think the market is quite big. We can be very selective. There are many countries like Turkiye and several Eastern European countries.
"Then we can go through proper due diligence and choose those that are not blacklisted by the United Nations," he said.
On Sunday (April 19), Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said Malaysia continues to position DSA as a neutral and open platform for all countries, including those involved in conflicts, to participate and showcase their capabilities.
