Academic Tajuddin Rasdi has warned that staging a protest against United States President Donald Trump during his visit to Kuala Lumpur for the Asean Summit next month would be akin to the Malay proverb, “jangan conteng arang ke muka sendiri (don’t smear your face with charcoal).”

He said such a move would also affect other member states of the regional bloc, potentially straining diplomatic, trade, and economic relations among the 10 countries.