A pro-Palestinian rally held in front of the Israeli embassy in Bangkok in April. - AFP
HONG KONG (SCMP): As Gaza marks the grim anniversary of the outbreak of war, its echoes continue to resonate across Southeast Asia, a region home to hundreds of millions of Muslims who passionately identify with the Palestinian struggle.
Yet the war’s impact extends beyond religious lines, touching nations that lack such a direct affiliation. Businesses face boycotts, public opinion is sharply divided, and governments are grappling with a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented scale.
The hostilities, sparked by Hamas’ deadly incursion into Israel on October 7 last year, have morphed into a relentless siege on Palestinians, with the violence increasingly spilling over into Lebanon and threatening Iran. Such escalations endanger not only lives but also economic stability, raising concerns over oil prices and global inflation.
For Thailand – whose nationals, like India’s and Nepal’s, continue to work on Israeli farms – the spreading conflict represents a new threat to its citizens’ safety. The kingdom has already lost more than 40 citizens to the violence, with six still unaccounted for after being kidnapped by Hamas.
An activist holding a sign about the Israel-Gaza war at Speakers’ Corner in Singapore in October last year. He was later investigated by police. - Instagram.com/goh.gilbert
In Singapore, where social cohesion is paramount, the government has banned public demonstrations linked to the conflict and issued warnings against displaying symbols associated with it. Yet calls persist from supporters of the Palestinian cause to sever defence ties with Israel.
The leaders of Muslim-majority Malaysia and Indonesia have been vocal in their condemnation, denouncing the Israeli assault that has resulted in more than 40,000 Palestinian deaths – mostly civilians – according to United Nations figures.
With the carnage showing no signs of stopping, frustration and sadness has permeated communities, as a sense of powerlessness grows.
In response, Malaysian graphic designer and illustrator Arif Rafhan Othman has released artworks that merge traditional Malaysian batik designs with Palestinian colours and symbols – including the now-ubiquitous watermelon.
The narrative surrounding the Palestinian struggle has been “manipulated and muted”, Arif said, so he believes it is his duty to keep people talking about it, helping them learn the conflict’s history and amplify victims’ voices through his art.
While he insists that he’s “not an activist”, the art that he creates and distributes for free has gained traction, appearing on T-shirts and posters – including a collaboration on shawls with activewear brand Airaz, the proceeds from which go to UNRWA, the UN aid agency operating in Gaza.
Israeli arms manufacturer Israel Aerospace Industries’ booth at the Singapore Airshow in February. - Reuters
“I am just a guy who likes to draw watermelons and give it out for free,” he told This Week in Asia.
Since the outbreak of the war, many Malaysians have shifted their spending habits, boycotting US-linked chains like Starbucks and McDonald’s, leading to significant financial losses.
Inside the Suria KLCC shopping centre at the foot of the Petronas towers in Kuala Lumpur, Starbucks has closed its doors, replaced by a Chinese milk tea outlet. Berjaya Food, the franchise holder for Starbucks in Malaysia, reported a 91.5 million ringgit (US$21.9 million) loss in the year to August. McDonald’s, meanwhile, earlier sought legal action against boycott organisers for 6 million ringgit in alleged damages.
Malaysia’s Anwar with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in July, during their meeting in Qatar in May. - Facebook/ Anwar Ibrahim
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s commitment to the Palestinian cause has shaped his foreign policy since he took office, positioning him as a vocal critic of Western stances. He condemned Germany’s pro-Israel position during a speech in March alongside Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin, asserting that the West has ignored decades of “atrocities, plunder, and dispossession of Palestinians”.
Anwar has also openly expressed support for Hamas, particularly after the death of its political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, whom he met in Qatar earlier this year.
While public rallies have been held in Malaysia in support of the Palestinians, online activism has become a more common route for many Malaysians to champion the cause.
Writer Deborah Augustin told This Week in Asia that she had raised more than US$10,000 to help a family in Gaza escape the violence.
“Even when I am out with my family and friends, a part of me is thinking about Gaza,” she said, adding that something within her had “fundamentally changed” as she witnessed the genocidal violence unfold.
“For a period of time, I cried every day before I went to work”
Indonesians are also boycotting brands perceived to support Israel, with KFC Indonesia reporting a net loss of US$21.5 million in the first quarter of this year. The Indonesian Ulema Council, the nation’s leading body of Islamic scholars, has urged citizens to continue their boycott efforts, emphasising the moral imperative to support “Palestinian independence”.
“Never stop the boycott movement because the genocide has not stopped either,” Cholil Nafis, chairman of the Indonesian Council of Ulema said in a statement on Monday. “This is a matter of our common humanity, and we must not remain silent.”
For Palestinians living abroad, the relentless violence is a source of deep anguish.
Raed Arada, head of the University of Indonesia’s Palestinian Students’ Association. - Handout
“This has gone on so long, and we are so tired. Even trying to call home and see how my family is doing is difficult,” said Raed Arada, a 26-year-old Palestinian student at the University of Indonesia who moved to the Southeast Asian nation five years ago.
“To hear about their experience, the constant danger, the strikes and the bombings, we are scared and tired. Focusing on my studies at university here is difficult because my mind is always on my family and their safety.”
His family has been displaced from their home Rafah and now lives in refugee camps in Khan Younis.
“I know I have to work hard and succeed here so that I can support my family because they are not in a situation where they can work or have finances,” he told This Week in Asia. “Their home is no longer there.”
In multicultural Singapore, the government imposes strict regulations on protests related to the conflict – reflecting the delicate balance between maintaining social harmony and allowing citizens to express their views.
Yet acts of defiance persist, such as an incident in April where activists unfurled a banner reading “End SG-Israel arms trade” that did the rounds on social media.
Israel has been a key military partner for Singapore since its separation from Malaysia in 1965, providing critical support to build its defence capabilities. A petition to halt the arms trade with Israel recently garnered nearly 2,000 signatures in one day, highlighting public sentiment.
Three women accused of organising a 70-strong group to deliver pro-Palestinian letters to the president’s office and official residence without a permit have also faced legal charges.
The Singaporean government maintains that its stance is “principled”, aligned with international law and aimed at promoting global peace. In a UN General Assembly vote last month, Singapore supported a resolution demanding Israel end its unlawful presence in occupied Palestinian territories within a year.
For Amir*, a 28-year-old with Malay Muslim heritage, the ongoing war has prompted a re-evaluation of his identity.
“Being pro-Palestinian is slowly creeping into my identity as a Singaporean Muslim,” he said, adding he had noticed a “rise in conversations and discussions about the geopolitics in the Middle East”. - South China Morning Post
*Name changed at interviewee’s request
