Indonesia’s Prabowo Among World Leaders Attending Trump-Hosted Gaza Peace Summit – What About Malaysia?

The omission seems particularly puzzling given Malaysia’s consistent advocacy for Palestinian statehood, championing their plight through humanitarian aid donations and organizing relief flotillas.

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While world leaders jet off to Egypt for United States President Donald Trump’s big Gaza peace summit, one notable absence stands out: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is in Kuala Lumpur, having just attended a Higher Education Ministry event at the World Trade Centre KL (WTCKL).

It is unclear if Anwar was invited, considering Malaysia has been one of the loudest voices supporting Palestine on the international stage.

Under Anwar’s leadership, Malaysia has been leading solidarity rallies and donating RM200 million through the government, positioning itself as a champion for Palestinian rights and becoming one of the most vocal supporters of the Palestinian cause in Southeast Asia and around the world.

Meanwhile, Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto scored an invite to Monday’s (13 October) summit in Sharm El Sheikh, where Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi are hosting over 20 world leaders to hash out the next steps for Gaza.

The summit’s guest list reads like a who’s who of global power players – from French President Emmanuel Macron to Turkish President Erdoğan to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Even smaller players like Norway’s prime minister and Bahrain’s king made the cut.

It’s not entirely clear whether Malaysia declined an invitation – similar to how Iran reportedly turned down its invite – or simply wasn’t invited in the first place.

We have reached out to the Prime Minister’s Office for a comment, but have yet to receive a reply.

It also deserves a mention that the Prime Minister is attending the Global Islamic Finance Forum 2025 (GIFF 2025) at Sasana Kijang in Kuala Lumpur today (13 October).

Geopolitics Over Gaza Advocacy?

It’s a curious diplomatic choice, especially when you consider how vocal Malaysia has been about Palestinian rights under Anwar’s leadership.

The country has consistently spoken out against Israeli actions and positioned itself as a strong advocate for Palestinian statehood.

The snub becomes even more puzzling when you look at who did get invited. Indonesia, Malaysia’s neighbour, is sending Prabowo despite having a less prominent profile on Palestinian issues compared to Anwar’s Malaysia.

Maybe it’s because Malaysia doesn’t have formal diplomatic ties with Israel – maybe it’s because Malaysia’s criticism of Israeli actions has been too sharp for some tastes.

Or maybe the guest list was just about who has the most geopolitical clout, not who’s been the most vocal supporter of Palestinians.

Complete Attendee For Gaza Peace Summit

Co-Chairs:

Donald Trump (US President) – Leading the peace initiative
Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (Egyptian President) – Co-hosting to leverage Egypt’s mediating role

Key Regional Players:

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (Qatar’s Emir) – Qatar played a crucial mediation role
Mahmoud Abbas (Palestinian Authority President) – Potential future Gaza governance role
King Abdullah II (Jordan) – Key regional stakeholder
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (Turkiye) – Major regional power