KUALA LUMPUR: Thousands of people from all walks of life converged at Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil for the ‘Himpunan Solidariti Bersama Gaza: Gelombang Malaysia, Palestin Merdeka’ rally.
Attendees dressed in white as a symbol of peace and unity began filling the venue as early as 5 pm while waving Palestinian flags and carrying supportive banners.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is scheduled to arrive around 9 pm to deliver the keynote address after a memorandum presentation from the Global Sumud Flotilla.
Malaysian activists who joined the flotilla voyage and several local celebrities are also expected to share their experiences during the gathering.
A special prayer session for Gaza was held after Maghrib prayers as part of the event programme.
The programme also included a poetry recitation by media personality Ahmad Fedtri Yahya and a performance by Munsyid Malaysia.
A student from Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia said she attended with a 30-member delegation hoping to ignite greater empathy for Palestinians among Malaysians.
Civil servant Mohd Kamal Hashim stated he came to show support for Palestine and the Global Sumud Flotilla volunteers alongside forty colleagues.
An Indian student from Kerala expressed that joining the rally represented taking a stand for humanity against what he described as genocide.
He added that he was inspired to attend after listening to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s speeches on the Palestinian cause.
Israel’s military assault on Gaza since October 2023 has killed over 67,000 Palestinians according to the report.
The majority of those killed are reported to be women, children, and civilians with extensive infrastructure destruction.
Approximately 2.1 million Gaza residents currently face severe shortages of food, clean water, and medical care.
Most residential areas and public buildings in Gaza have been destroyed by the Israeli regime’s bombardment. – Bernama