KUALA LUMPUR: Record company and music distributor Universal Music Malaysia opposes violence and stands for peace in Palestine.
Its artists and repertoire and marketing director, Hermond Cheng, said the statement by parent company Universal Music Group (UMG) on Instagram recently was old.
"We do not support any party in the ongoing conflict in Gaza. All we want is peace and an end to violence," said Cheng in an interview with Harian Metro Online today.
Cheng said that Universal Music Malaysia and UMG "were in agreement" that the conflict should be resolved peacefully.
"UMG does not take sides. If we read their statement carefully, it says that they condemn violence and want a peaceful resolution," said Cheng, adding that he was glad that none of Universal Music Malaysia's artistes were facing a boycott.
UMG recently released a statement on social media condemning the Palestinian nationalist movement Hamas as a terrorist group and urging it to end the ongoing violence between Palestinians and the Israeli army in Gaza.
This prompted pop queen Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza to say that she was "not on the same page" as UMG since she had always been supportive of the Palestinian people.
Siti also said that she was not an artiste under Universal Music, and the company merely distributed her songs in Malaysia.
"I am shocked by what they said. However, I do not believe that Universal Music Malaysia shares a similar view," said Siti.