MALAYSIA and the United States have joined the international response condemning the deadly attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, with leaders from both countries expressing condolences, solidarity with Australia and strong opposition to violence directed at civilians.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he was deeply alarmed by the attack, which claimed innocent lives and left many others injured. In a message posted on Facebook, he said, “I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and wish those injured a swift and full recovery.”
Anwar condemned the violence in the strongest terms, stressing that no cause could justify such acts.
“There can be no justification for violence directed at civilians, still less for attacks that single people out on the basis of race or religion, at any time or in any place. Such acts have no basis in any faith or belief,” he said.
The Prime Minister added that Malaysia stood in firm solidarity with the people and government of Australia during what he described as a difficult time, and said Kuala Lumpur fully supported all efforts to ensure those responsible were identified and brought to justice in accordance with the law.
Earlier reports, cited by Xinhua, quoted New South Wales Premier Chris Minns as saying at least 12 people had died following the shooting at Bondi Beach on Saturday night. Australian authorities have since said the death toll rose further as investigations continued.
In Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump also addressed the attack while speaking at a White House Christmas reception, where he mourned two separate acts of violence over the weekend, including the shooting in Sydney and a mass shooting at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.
“I want to pay my respects to the people,” Trump said, referring first to the attack in Providence, noting the injured and the two people killed, who he said were “looking down on us right now from heaven.”
Turning to Australia, he added, “Likewise, in Australia, as you know, that was a terrible attack — 11 dead, 29 badly wounded. And that was an antisemitic attack, obviously.”
Reflecting on both incidents, Trump said, “Think of that and Brown University — great school, great, great, really, one of the greatest schools anywhere in the world. Things can happen.”
He wished those injured in the Providence shooting to “get well fast,” and told the families of the two students killed, “I pay my deepest regards and respects from the United States of America.”
Trump also praised the actions of a bystander during the Bondi Beach attack, saying he had “great respect” for the man who tackled the alleged attacker, describing him as “a very, very brave person.”
Addressing guests gathered at the White House, Trump said the holiday celebrations carried a deeper meaning in light of the violence.
“We’re here to celebrate Christmas and … I think today, we can first say, loudly, we celebrate Hanukkah because that was such a horrible attack, that was a purely antisemitic attack,” he said.
First Lady Melania Trump also acknowledged the global impact of the violence as she opened her remarks at the reception.
“First of all, my thoughts and prayers go to the families of people who lost their loved ones around the world,” she said. “In this difficult time, we are celebrating here Christmas, and I’m thinking about them, what they’re going through.”
She added, “My heart is with them.”
The attack at Bondi Beach has prompted widespread condemnation from governments and leaders around the world, reinforcing a shared message echoed by both Anwar Ibrahim and Donald Trump: that violence targeting civilians, particularly on the basis of race or religion, has no place in any society. - December 15, 2025
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