SHAH ALAM – A memorandum urging Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) and Sime Darby to sever ties with US-based company Caterpillar was submitted by the chairman of Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Malaysia, Professor Dr Mohd Nazari Ismail, at Menara Merdeka 118 this afternoon.
The memorandum, handed to a PNB representative at the end of the rally around 3.30pm, states Caterpillar of complicity in war crimes in Palestine.
He said Caterpillar supplies bulldozers to the Israeli military, which were used in the demolition of Palestinian homes and infrastructure.
"Caterpillar continues these activities despite the International Court of Justice ruling that companies must not support illegal acts such as the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories," he said.
The rally, organised by BDS Malaysia, drew approximately 50 participants, including representatives from various non-governmental organisations (NGOs) advocating for Palestine. Among them were the Malaysian Women Coalition for Al-Quds and Palestine (MWCQP), MuslimCare Malaysia, Majlis Perundingan Pertubuhan Islam Malaysia (Mapim), Cinta Gaza Malaysia, Humanitarian Care Malaysia (MyCARE), and Gabungan Solidariti Pembebasan Palestin (GSPP).
Chants of "Free Palestine" and calls to end Caterpillar's alleged complicity with Israel punctuated speeches delivered during the event.
Nazari emphasised the rally's objective was to draw attention to Caterpillar’s role in what he described as "genocide and ethnic cleansing" in Gaza and the West Bank.
He urged PNB, the controlling shareholder of Sime Darby, the Asia-Pacific region’s leading distributor of Caterpillar machinery, to take decisive action.
"PNB, as a government-controlled investment management company, has the moral responsibility to ensure Sime Darby ends its business relationship with Caterpillar,” he said. Menara Merdeka 118, where the protest was held, houses PNB’s headquarters. The rally is part of ongoing efforts by pro-Palestine groups to hold companies accountable for their involvement in the genocide in Gaza.
Caterpillar has faced long-standing criticism from human rights groups for allegedly enabling the Israeli military’s destruction of Palestinian properties, that constitutes war crimes under international law.
Despite repeated appeals and global campaigns, the company has continued its dealings in the region.