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Hadi Azmi

Malaysia’s most famous shopping centre edged closer to a damaging boycott after threatening to throw out a second group of pro-Palestinian protesters carrying flags, prompting calls for a mass gathering inside the plaza after Friday prayers.
The management of Suria KLCC shopping arcade – at the bottom of the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur – made headlines after a scuffle broke out on Sunday between security and pro-Palestinian supporters who entered the venue at the end of a rally.
The protesters were later forcibly removed from the shopping mecca, as security said the flagpole they were carrying posed a threat to other patrons.
On Wednesday night, a group of 10 youths sought to test the claim by walking into KLCC with just the flags, carried over their shoulders, but were similarly stopped by security guards who told the patrons to take off the banners or be ejected.
The issue can be incendiary in Muslim-majority Malaysia, where public sentiment is overwhelmingly behind the Palestinian cause.
Videos of the verbal altercation spread on social media, with people decrying KLCC for refusing to allow in visitors with the Palestinian symbol.
“So it is never about the flag pole. Do you want to be boycotted too?” a Malaysian user asked.


Malaysia is already at the forefront of Southeast Asian boycotts against businesses linked – however loosely – to Israel and the United States.
McDonald’s outlets nationwide have reported falling foot traffic, while Starbucks’ Malaysian franchise disclosed losses of 292 million ringgit (US$69 million) for the financial year ending in June after revenue slumped 64 per cent.
The Starbucks outlet at KLCC closed down last year, with Chinese tea brand Chagee taking over its place.
Even KFC, one of the earliest Western fast food chains in the country, shut down multiple stores throughout 2024, citing “challenging economic conditions”.
Several social media users have called for the public to carry the Palestinian flag and walk into the shopping centre on Friday after the Muslim prayers at the nearby Asy-Syakirin Mosque, which – along with the plaza – is part of the Petronas Twin Towers complex.
“Let’s pray there, then we go into KLCC in a big group bringing Palestinian flags and wearing keffiyehs,” online user Mohammad Faeez Harith said, referring to the Palestinian scarves.
“Let’s see their reaction this time.”

The 140,000 square metre building houses luxury brands such as Rolex, Louis Vuitton and Hugo Boss, along with supermarkets, a cineplex, department stores and an art gallery. Its adjoining park is a popular spot for families and tourists.
Critics highlight the property’s ownership by government-linked entities – including Petronas, pension funds EPF and KWAP, the investment arm PNB and the haj savings fund Tabung Haji – and accuse them of betraying Malaysia’s pro-Palestinian stance.
“All these are GLCs and GLICs. Have they all turned pro-Zionist?” a social media user asked.
The contradiction is sharpened by the fact that Petronas and Tabung Haji both report to the Prime Minister’s Office, while Anwar Ibrahim has emerged as one of the most vocal leaders championing the Palestinian cause.
On Wednesday, Malaysian activist Muhammad Nadir Al Nuri Kamaruzaman revealed that Anwar had declared himself patron of the Southeast Asian chapter of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a civil society-led mission launched in 2025 to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza by sailing more than 50 vessels carrying aid and activists from ports across Asia and Europe.


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Pro-Palestinian protesters are calling for a mass gathering at the KLCC complex within the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur


Pro-Palestinian protesters are calling for a mass gathering at the KLCC complex within the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur.


Malaysia’s top mall rolls dice with flag ban over Gaza protests: ‘do you want a boycott?’

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Pro-Palestinian protesters are calling for a mass gathering at the KLCC complex within the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur

Pro-Palestinian protesters are calling for a mass gathering at the KLCC complex within the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur