Malaysias protest Trump's 'alpha male' envoy nominee
President Donald Trump last week named outspoken author and political commentator Adams as the White House's nominee for US ambassador to Malaysia.
Adams, a naturalised US citizen originally from Australia, has cultivated a brash social media persona, using a macho, "alpha male" branding to weigh in on cultural issues and appeal to an audience of mainly young men.
But it is his posts harshly criticising Islam and showing support for Israel's military campaign in Gaza that has angered Muslims in Malaysia, triggering a rare protest against a foreign diplomatic appointment in the Southeast Asian country.
The outcry comes at a critical time for Malaysia, which has until August 1 to reach a trade deal with Washington to avoid a steep 25 per cent tariff imposed on its exports to the United States.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told reporters on Friday it was too early in the process to decide on Adams' appointment but his government would give the matter due consideration.
"At the same time, we will seek to protect the good relations between Malaysia and the United States," Anwar said, according to a recording of his remarks provided by his office to Reuters.
Demonstrators led by youth leaders from Anwar's ruling coalition submitted a memorandum of protest to the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur asking for Trump to reconsider his nomination of Adams.
The memorandum cited "divisive rhetoric" used by Adams, and characterised his postings as insensitive towards Malaysia's multicultural society.
Malaysia, which has a majority of mostly Muslim ethnic Malays alongside significant ethnic Chinese and ethnic Indian minorities, has long been a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause.
"An ambassador's task is to be the bridge between two countries and we don't want that person to be someone who destroys that bridge instead," said Muhammad Izuan Ahmad Kasim, a member of Anwar's People's Justice Party.
The embassy and Adams' office did not respond to requests for comment.
The protesters also called on Malaysia's government to exercise its right under international norms to reject Adams' proposed appointment.
Government spokesperson Fahmi Fadzil said on Tuesday the cabinet had not yet received any formal notice of Adams' appointment to Malaysia.
Adams' nomination has not yet been approved, but he is widely expected to be confirmed by the Republican-held US Senate.
Dozens of demonstrators have gathered outside the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur to protest against the proposed appointment of Nick Adams, a self-styled "alpha male" influencer, as the United States' envoy to Malaysia.
President Donald Trump last week named outspoken author and political commentator Adams as the White House's nominee for US ambassador to Malaysia.
Adams, a naturalised US citizen originally from Australia, has cultivated a brash social media persona, using a macho, "alpha male" branding to weigh in on cultural issues and appeal to an audience of mainly young men.
But it is his posts harshly criticising Islam and showing support for Israel's military campaign in Gaza that has angered Muslims in Malaysia, triggering a rare protest against a foreign diplomatic appointment in the Southeast Asian country.
The outcry comes at a critical time for Malaysia, which has until August 1 to reach a trade deal with Washington to avoid a steep 25 per cent tariff imposed on its exports to the United States.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told reporters on Friday it was too early in the process to decide on Adams' appointment but his government would give the matter due consideration.
"At the same time, we will seek to protect the good relations between Malaysia and the United States," Anwar said, according to a recording of his remarks provided by his office to Reuters.
Demonstrators led by youth leaders from Anwar's ruling coalition submitted a memorandum of protest to the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur asking for Trump to reconsider his nomination of Adams.
The memorandum cited "divisive rhetoric" used by Adams, and characterised his postings as insensitive towards Malaysia's multicultural society.
Malaysia, which has a majority of mostly Muslim ethnic Malays alongside significant ethnic Chinese and ethnic Indian minorities, has long been a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause.
"An ambassador's task is to be the bridge between two countries and we don't want that person to be someone who destroys that bridge instead," said Muhammad Izuan Ahmad Kasim, a member of Anwar's People's Justice Party.
The embassy and Adams' office did not respond to requests for comment.
The protesters also called on Malaysia's government to exercise its right under international norms to reject Adams' proposed appointment.
Government spokesperson Fahmi Fadzil said on Tuesday the cabinet had not yet received any formal notice of Adams' appointment to Malaysia.
Adams' nomination has not yet been approved, but he is widely expected to be confirmed by the Republican-held US Senate.
Dozens of demonstrators have gathered outside the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur to protest against the proposed appointment of Nick Adams, a self-styled "alpha male" influencer, as the United States' envoy to Malaysia.
President Donald Trump last week named outspoken author and political commentator Adams as the White House's nominee for US ambassador to Malaysia.
Adams, a naturalised US citizen originally from Australia, has cultivated a brash social media persona, using a macho, "alpha male" branding to weigh in on cultural issues and appeal to an audience of mainly young men.
But it is his posts harshly criticising Islam and showing support for Israel's military campaign in Gaza that has angered Muslims in Malaysia, triggering a rare protest against a foreign diplomatic appointment in the Southeast Asian country.
The outcry comes at a critical time for Malaysia, which has until August 1 to reach a trade deal with Washington to avoid a steep 25 per cent tariff imposed on its exports to the United States.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told reporters on Friday it was too early in the process to decide on Adams' appointment but his government would give the matter due consideration.
"At the same time, we will seek to protect the good relations between Malaysia and the United States," Anwar said, according to a recording of his remarks provided by his office to Reuters.
Demonstrators led by youth leaders from Anwar's ruling coalition submitted a memorandum of protest to the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur asking for Trump to reconsider his nomination of Adams.
The memorandum cited "divisive rhetoric" used by Adams, and characterised his postings as insensitive towards Malaysia's multicultural society.
Malaysia, which has a majority of mostly Muslim ethnic Malays alongside significant ethnic Chinese and ethnic Indian minorities, has long been a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause.
"An ambassador's task is to be the bridge between two countries and we don't want that person to be someone who destroys that bridge instead," said Muhammad Izuan Ahmad Kasim, a member of Anwar's People's Justice Party.
The embassy and Adams' office did not respond to requests for comment.
The protesters also called on Malaysia's government to exercise its right under international norms to reject Adams' proposed appointment.
Government spokesperson Fahmi Fadzil said on Tuesday the cabinet had not yet received any formal notice of Adams' appointment to Malaysia.
Adams' nomination has not yet been approved, but he is widely expected to be confirmed by the Republican-held US Senate.
Dozens of demonstrators have gathered outside the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur to protest against the proposed appointment of Nick Adams, a self-styled "alpha male" influencer, as the United States' envoy to Malaysia.
President Donald Trump last week named outspoken author and political commentator Adams as the White House's nominee for US ambassador to Malaysia.
Adams, a naturalised US citizen originally from Australia, has cultivated a brash social media persona, using a macho, "alpha male" branding to weigh in on cultural issues and appeal to an audience of mainly young men.
But it is his posts harshly criticising Islam and showing support for Israel's military campaign in Gaza that has angered Muslims in Malaysia, triggering a rare protest against a foreign diplomatic appointment in the Southeast Asian country.
The outcry comes at a critical time for Malaysia, which has until August 1 to reach a trade deal with Washington to avoid a steep 25 per cent tariff imposed on its exports to the United States.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told reporters on Friday it was too early in the process to decide on Adams' appointment but his government would give the matter due consideration.
"At the same time, we will seek to protect the good relations between Malaysia and the United States," Anwar said, according to a recording of his remarks provided by his office to Reuters.
Demonstrators led by youth leaders from Anwar's ruling coalition submitted a memorandum of protest to the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur asking for Trump to reconsider his nomination of Adams.
The memorandum cited "divisive rhetoric" used by Adams, and characterised his postings as insensitive towards Malaysia's multicultural society.
Malaysia, which has a majority of mostly Muslim ethnic Malays alongside significant ethnic Chinese and ethnic Indian minorities, has long been a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause.
"An ambassador's task is to be the bridge between two countries and we don't want that person to be someone who destroys that bridge instead," said Muhammad Izuan Ahmad Kasim, a member of Anwar's People's Justice Party.
The embassy and Adams' office did not respond to requests for comment.
The protesters also called on Malaysia's government to exercise its right under international norms to reject Adams' proposed appointment.
Government spokesperson Fahmi Fadzil said on Tuesday the cabinet had not yet received any formal notice of Adams' appointment to Malaysia.
Adams' nomination has not yet been approved, but he is widely expected to be confirmed by the Republican-held US Senate.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
Pakistan jails 100 members of ex-PM Khan's party
A Pakistani anti-terrorism court has sentenced more than 100 members of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party to prison terms on charges related to riots that targeted military sites in 2023, a court order said. Fifty-eight of the defendants, who included parliamentarians and senior officials, were sentenced to 10 years in prison and the rest were given sentences ranging from one to three years, the court said on Thursday. The accused include Omar Ayub Khan and Shibli Faraz, the leaders of Khan's opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI) in the lower and upper houses of parliament respectively, the court order seen by Reuters read. "The prosecution has proved its case against the accused without a shadow of doubt," it said in announcing the sentences. Khan, who has been in prison since 2023 facing charges of corruption, land fraud and disclosure of official secrets, is being tried separately on similar charges related to the riot. The government accuses him and other leaders of inciting the May 9, 2023, protests, during which demonstrators attacked military and government buildings, including the army headquarters in Rawalpindi. He denies wrongdoing and says all the cases are politically motivated as part of a military-backed crackdown to dismantle his party. The military denies it. Khan's arrest had prompted the countrywide violent protests. Thursday's ruling does not directly affect the incitement case against him in which prosecution is still presenting witnesses. The PTI party said it will challenge the verdict. The ruling is the third such mass conviction this month; Khan's party says they have included at least 14 of its parliamentarians. They will lose their seats in parliament under Pakistani laws, which will shred Khan's opposition party's strength. Another 77 were acquitted for lack of evidence in the latest verdict, which is linked to an attack on the office of an intelligence agency in eastern city of Faisalabad, the court said. The party plans new protests starting on August 5, the second anniversary of Khan's jailing, to demand his release.
West Australian
an hour ago
- West Australian
Pakistan jails 100 members of ex-PM Khan's party
A Pakistani anti-terrorism court has sentenced more than 100 members of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party to prison terms on charges related to riots that targeted military sites in 2023, a court order said. Fifty-eight of the defendants, who included parliamentarians and senior officials, were sentenced to 10 years in prison and the rest were given sentences ranging from one to three years, the court said on Thursday. The accused include Omar Ayub Khan and Shibli Faraz, the leaders of Khan's opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI) in the lower and upper houses of parliament respectively, the court order seen by Reuters read. "The prosecution has proved its case against the accused without a shadow of doubt," it said in announcing the sentences. Khan, who has been in prison since 2023 facing charges of corruption, land fraud and disclosure of official secrets, is being tried separately on similar charges related to the riot. The government accuses him and other leaders of inciting the May 9, 2023, protests, during which demonstrators attacked military and government buildings, including the army headquarters in Rawalpindi. He denies wrongdoing and says all the cases are politically motivated as part of a military-backed crackdown to dismantle his party. The military denies it. Khan's arrest had prompted the countrywide violent protests. Thursday's ruling does not directly affect the incitement case against him in which prosecution is still presenting witnesses. The PTI party said it will challenge the verdict. The ruling is the third such mass conviction this month; Khan's party says they have included at least 14 of its parliamentarians. They will lose their seats in parliament under Pakistani laws, which will shred Khan's opposition party's strength. Another 77 were acquitted for lack of evidence in the latest verdict, which is linked to an attack on the office of an intelligence agency in eastern city of Faisalabad, the court said. The party plans new protests starting on August 5, the second anniversary of Khan's jailing, to demand his release.
SBS Australia
9 hours ago
- SBS Australia
Too many: 602 Indigenous deaths in custody since the royal commission
Warning: this article includes the names of Aboriginal people who have passed and distressing content. When Senator Lidia Thorpe first entered Parliament she carried a message stick with 441 notches on it - each marking the death in custody of a First Nations person since the 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody. Today, five years later, she carried that same message stick into the Senate. It has 602 notches. The Parliament today supported a motion from Senator Thorpe calling for urgent national action on the crisis of First Nations deaths in custody, following the passing of 24-year-old Kumanjayi White in Mparntwe/Alice Springs in May. 'Kumanjayi White should be alive today," the Gunnai, Gunditjmara and Djab Wurrung woman said. "He was a young, disabled man who needed care and support, not restraint and force. His death is a national shame. "We are in the middle of a crisis. First Peoples continue to die in custody at horrifying rates. "There have been at least 17 deaths this year alone and still no government has fully implemented the Royal Commission's recommendations after more than three decades." Senator Thorpe's motion followed the release of the latest Closing the Gap data overnight, which shows rates of incarceration and suicide of First Peoples continue to worsen. "This motion extends the Senate's deepest sympathies to his family, to the Yuendumu community, to the families of the 17 First Peoples who have died in custody this year, and to the families of all those who have died since the 1991 Royal Commission," she said. These are not just statistics; they are sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, cousins, siblings, grandchildren – lost to a system that continues to harm our people. Her motion received support from crossbench and Labor parliamentarians in both the Senate and House of Representatives and Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians Senator Kerrynne Liddle. Labor Senator Murray Watt said it was unacceptable that 602 First Nations people had died in custody since the royal commission. "The royal commission was clear that the best way to reduce First Nations deaths in custody is to reduce the high incarceration rate of First Nations people, including through social and economic responses, which the evidence shows can reduce crime, change the course of lives, and avoid people coming into contact with the police or justice system in the first place," he said. "This is what the Commonwealth Government is focusing on, including through the national agreement on Closing the Gap." Senator Watt said the Albanese Government was investing in First Nations-led justice reinvestment initiatives (where money that would be spent on prisons is, instead, invested in early intervention and diversionary programs) and called on the states and territories to do more. Senator Liddle and Senator Watt both extended condolences to Kumanjayi White's family and Yuendumu community. "His grieving family deserve answers," Senator Liddle said. "Australians, too, deserve answers. "The recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody released in 1991 outlined what needed to be done. "Indigenous Australians were disproportionately incarcerated, and they were also over represented in deaths in custody. "The Royal Commission report was a blueprint for change. "Change then was necessary; 34 years later, the job is still not done." Greens Leader Larissa Waters and independent Senator David Pocock also both spoke in favour of Senator Thorpe's motion. "We stand in solidarity with the Yuendumu and Warlpiri communities," Senator Waters said. "We join their calls for justice, and we echo the family's demand for an independent investigation, for the officers involved to be stood down, for the release of CCTV and body camera footage, and for the Northern Territory police to apologise for and cease publicly criminalising Kumanjayi White in their statements." Senator Thorpe called for unity and said the issue of First Nations deaths in custody was not about politics but about compassion. "The families of those who've died at the hands of the system need justice, not excuses," she said. "They need truth, accountability, and support to navigate a legal system that continues to fail us. "Ending deaths in custody – which are this country's great shame – must be a priority for this Labor government, they have the power to act now." Senator Thorpe said, while the support for her motion across the Parliament was encouraging, it must be backed up with action. "First Peoples have waited 34 years since the royal commission for action," she said. "Together, we can get this done."
