The protesters started gathering at around 8am and the crowd swelled to about 100 after 9.30am with some holding placards denouncing war crimes and criticising the alleged supply of rare earths in Malaysia to foreign defence firms.

They stated their opposition to the participation of firms like Lockheed Martin, Matra BAE Dynamics Alenia, Leonardo and Hyundai Heavy Industries in the Defence Services Asia (DSA) and National Security Asia (Natsec) Exhibition 2026.

They cited a report by the UN special rapporteur on rights in the Palestinian territory, Francesca Albanese.

Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) Malaysia chairman Nazari Ismail and Sekretariat Solidariti Palestin member Tian Chua later submitted a memorandum to DSA executive director Nadzeem Abdul Rahman.

Among others, they called for the organisers to issue a public statement affirming their commitment to international law and to come up with a mechanism based on UN and human rights findings to vet exhibitors for future events.

Nazari said companies supplying weapons to Israel should not be invited to the DSA and Natsec exhibition, as inviting them granted recognition and showed no objection to their involvement in the Gaza conflict.

“If they have already been identified by the UN, why are we still inviting them?” Nazari said at a press conference after handing over the memorandum.

Tian Chua, a former MP, maintained that they were not against the exhibition, only the participation of such firms, saying Malaysians did not want “genocide enablers” to be part of the event.

He said Malaysia could opt to source arms from countries like Turkey and nations in Eastern Europe instead, to avoid the firms named in the UN report.

Yesterday, defence minister Khaled Nordin said the DSA and Natsec exhibition was a neutral trade platform, dismissing criticism over the participation of certain foreign firms.