Cops swoop on pro-Palestine protesters as 'good man' Anwar welcomes 'Israel's greatest friend'

Police last night arrested more than 60 pro-Palestinian supporters who joined a weekly convoy to protest the Anwar Ibrahim government's invitation to President Donald Trump, whose presence at the Asean Summit appears to eclipse the other ten heads of state currently in Kuala Lumpur.

The arrests came hours before Trump arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Air Force One, where earlier he told reporters during the flight that Anwar was "a very good man".

"I told the leader of Malaysia, who is a very good man, I think I owe you a trip," he was quoted as saying.

Anwar and several ministers were present at the airport to welcome Trump, who was greeted with a rapturous traditional dance on the tarmac.

Trump is only the third US president to make an official visit to Malaysia, after Lyndon B. Johnson in 1966 and Barack Obama in 2014.

This time, however, the occasion is marked by anti-US sentiment across the Muslim world following Washington's open support for Israel's genocidal campaign in Gaza, which has so far claimed more than 60,000 lives, mostly women and children.

Just two weeks ago, Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu described Trump as "the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House".

"No American president has ever done more for Israel, and as I said in Washington, it ain’t even close. It’s really not a match," Netanyahu had told the Knesset on Oct 13.

Anwar has ignored calls from various groups and prominent individuals to rescind the invitation to the US leader. Instead, his government embarked on a media campaign to portray that the visit would not affect Malaysia's decades-long policy of supporting the Palestinian cause.

Anti-Trump gathering to go ahead

Over the past week, there has been a major security operation, including a lockdown to prevent the public from entering areas surrounding the venue of the Asean Summit at the KLCC, not far from the US embassy where anti-Trump protesters have organised gatherings.

Last night, police swooped on a convoy of motorcycles waving Palestinian flags, arresting 64 people.

By 2.30am, 62 of them were released, but two were detained under Section 186 of the Penal Code for obstructing officers from carrying out their duties. They include prominent political influencer Wan Muhammad Azri Wan Deris, better known as Papagomo.

When contacted, their lawyer Rafique Rashid said he had yet to receive any update on the status of the two.

The police action came days after Inspector General of Police Khalid Ismail warned the public against organising anti-Trump protests during the Asean Summit to "project an image of a peaceful nation".

The call immediately sparked outrage on social media, with many saying those who oppose Trump's presence in Malaysia are the real patriots who redeem Malaysia's image.

The warnings did not stop a coalition of students and activist groups called the Anti-Trump Secretariat from proceeding with their planned protest at Ampang Park today.

"This assembly is a unified declaration that genocide enablers and war criminals are not welcome – not here, not anywhere.

"It is high time that Asean nations take a firmer stance in avoiding all forms of normalisation to weaken US hegemony in the region. As such, the Anti-Trump Secretariat calls upon the masses to stand together in opposition to the greatest threat to humanity in our time," it said.