T Suresraj said that by engaging firmly and calmly, Malaysia could not only defend its national interests but also bolster its international standing.

“It will show the world that we are not afraid to engage when the stakes are high, that we are not afraid to speak even when the room is tense.

“That we don’t just show up when it’s easy, but especially when it’s hard,” he said in a statement today.

Adding that Muda rejects the divisive and intolerant politics Adams represents, Suresraj nevertheless said that this should not translate into disengagement.

“This is a moment that calls for courage. It calls for unity. And it calls for leadership,” he said, urging Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his Cabinet to rise to the challenge.

“We don’t get stronger by avoiding hard conversations. We get stronger by having them, with eyes open, backs straight, and hands extended,” he said.

Adams, a naturalised US citizen originally from Australia, is a prominent right-wing commentator known for his support for Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and his harsh criticism of Islam.

His nomination by US president Donald Trump to serve in Muslim-majority Malaysia has caused controversy, as the country has long supported the Palestinian cause.

Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim and former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin were among those who opposed Adams’s nomination, saying Malaysia had every right under the Vienna Convention to reject his appointment without giving a reason.

PKR Youth has also announced plans to submit a memorandum of protest to the US embassy over Adams’s nomination.