KUALA LUMPUR — Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Fadil Marsus today praised the organisers of an anti-Trump protest at Dataran Merdeka, saying the gathering, held from 9.30am to around 12pm, was peaceful and closely monitored by officers.

“The assembly went on smoothly without any unwanted incidents and under the monitoring of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM),” he said in a statement today.

“We extend our gratitude to the organisers managing their attendees and for following the guidelines and orders issued by PDRM. 

Fadil added that the police remain committed to ensuring public safety while facilitating rallies, stressing that peaceful assembly is a right for all.

The anti-Trump protest was organised by local non-governmental organisation BDS Malaysia alongside several other pro-Palestinian groups. 

It was originally scheduled for Ampang Park but was moved at the last minute after Fadil designated the area a red zone. 

The decision followed intelligence assessments and a joint security review with other enforcement agencies, which deemed the original venue unsuitable.

The US president arrived in Malaysia on Sunday on the first leg of an Asian tour. 

He is in Kuala Lumpur to attend the Association of South-east Asian Nations (Asean) summit — a meeting he skipped several times in his first term.