Invest Malaysia Organisers Apologise For Oversight On Tim Marshall’s Invite
The organisers said Tim Marshall’s views do not reflect their position and pledged to strengthen speaker vetting processes going forward.
- Bursa Malaysia, CIMB and Maybank apologised for inviting Tim Marshall, admitting an "oversight" in failing to conduct a rigorous background review.
- Thirty Malaysian NGOs condemned Marshall's invitation, accusing him of promoting pro-Israel narratives inconsistent with Malaysia's pro-Palestinian foreign policy.
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The organisers of Invest Malaysia Kuala Lumpur (IMKL) 2026 have apologised for inviting British journalist and author Tim Marshall as a speaker after a coalition of Malaysian civil society groups slammed the decision, accusing him of promoting pro-Israel narratives.
The organisers of Invest Malaysia Kuala Lumpur 2026 acknowledge the concerns raised regarding the participation of Tim Marshall as a speaker at the conference and apologise for the oversight in not undertaking a more rigorous background review prior to his engagement.
— Bursa Malaysia Bhd 197601004668 (30632-P) (@BursaMalaysia) June 15, 2026
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They also demanded an explanation for his inclusion at the event.
In a joint statement issued by IMKL organisers, including Bursa Malaysia, Maybank and CIMB, they acknowledged concerns raised over Marshall’s participation and admitted there had been an “oversight” in failing to conduct a more rigorous background review before engaging him.
“The organisers of Invest Malaysia Kuala Lumpur 2026 acknowledge the concerns raised regarding the participation of Tim Marshall as a speaker at the conference and apologise for the oversight in not undertaking a more rigorous background review prior to his engagement,” the statement read.
According to the organisers, Marshall was invited to participate virtually in a discussion focused on geopolitical developments and their implications for global markets, investment flows and business strategy.
They stressed that any personal views, opinions or past commentaries expressed by Marshall do not reflect the views, values or positions of Invest Malaysia Kuala Lumpur and its organisers.
“The organisers stand with the Government of Malaysia in strongly condemning all forms of violence, oppression and atrocities against the Palestinian people,” the statement added.
The organisers also said they would strengthen their speaker review and selection processes moving forward.
The apology came after 30 Malaysian NGOs and advocacy groups led by BDS Malaysia signed an open letter criticising Bursa Malaysia for featuring Marshall as a keynote speaker at the conference.
In the letter, the groups described Marshall as someone with “very odious Zionist views” and accused him of repeating Israeli talking points while downplaying allegations of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
The signatories pointed to Marshall’s writings and public commentary, claiming he had rejected characterisations of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as genocide despite subsequent findings and statements by international bodies and experts.
They also criticised his reporting on the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks, alleging that he repeated claims that were later disputed and had not issued corrections.
The groups argued that inviting Marshall to a flagship national event appeared inconsistent with Malaysia’s long-standing pro-Palestinian foreign policy stance and questioned how he had been selected as a speaker.
“We demand that Bursa Malaysia explain why such a Zionist extremist as Tim Marshall was lent respectability by having him as a speaker at its event,” the open letter stated.
Among the organisations that endorsed the letter were BDS Malaysia, MERCY Malaysia, Pertubuhan IKRAM Malaysia, ALIRAN, Humanitarian Care Malaysia (MyCARE), MAPIM and several other civil society and humanitarian groups.
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