Malaysia’s Biggest Arms Expo Under Fire: NGOs Target Companies Named In Gaza Genocide Report

0 Sara Smith April 20, 2026

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Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) Malaysia and 37 civil society organisations submitted a formal memorandum to Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin on Monday morning (20 April), calling for the exclusion of named defence companies from Defence Services Asia (DSA) 2026.

The biennial arms and defence expo is currently underway at MITEC in Kuala Lumpur.

The memorandum, dated 20 April, was also addressed to Nadzeem Abdul Rahman, Executive Director of NATSEC 2026, the organising body behind the expo.

The coalition named eight companies as exhibitors at the event — Lockheed Martin, Leonardo SpA and its subsidiary Leonardo DRS, Hyundai Heavy Industries, Motorola Solutions, L3Harris Technologies, Rheinmetall, NAMMO, and ThyssenKrupp — citing their presence on the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council database and in reports by UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese.

The memo states that these companies have supplied weapons, surveillance systems, heavy machinery, or logistical support used in military operations in Gaza, in violation of international humanitarian law and the Genocide Convention.

From F-35s to Submarines: The Named Firms

Leading global security, defence, and aerospace contractor, Lockheed Martin, listed as Exhibitor No. 1010 at Stand 3700F, was cited as a primary supplier of F-35 fighter jets and Hellfire missiles to the Israeli military.

American technology company Motorola Solutions, exhibiting under Malaysia and Singapore registrations, was flagged for providing surveillance and communications infrastructure to Israeli settlements.

Major German multinational conglomerate ThyssenKrupp was named for supplying Israel with naval vessels and submarines.

The coalition argued that Malaysia’s hosting of these companies exposed the government to reputational damage and potential legal risk under universal jurisdiction principles.

It also said their presence at the expo undermined Malaysia’s commitments to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

From the Streets to the Minister’s Desk

The memo called on the minister to immediately remove the named companies from the participant list, issue a public statement affirming Malaysia’s commitment to international law, and establish a vetting mechanism for future defence events.

The 38 signatories span a wide cross-section of Malaysian civil society, including Islamic organisations such as IKRAM and HALUAN, secular groups such as Greenpeace Malaysia and Aliran, youth movement Undi18, and human rights bodies such as CENTHRA and Citizens International.

Separately, members of BDS Malaysia and Malaysian Protest 4 Palestine staged a physical protest at MITEC on the same day the memorandum was submitted.

DSA 2026 is one of Southeast Asia’s largest defence and security expos, drawing government delegations and defence contractors from across the region.

There was no immediate public response from the Ministry of Defence or the expo organisers at the time of publication.