Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Dozens of Malaysians protested near the US embassy in the capital on Friday, calling for President Donald Trump's nomination as envoy to the Southeast Asian nation to be rejected.

Trump nominated right-wing commentator Nick Adams, known for his rightwing views and strong pro-Israel stance, as ambassador to multicultural, Muslim-majority Malaysia a week ago.

Protesters chanted "Reject Nick Adams" and "Destroy America" and held up posters depicting Adams with a red cross over his face.

Other placards read: "No space for racists and Islamophobes in Malaysia."

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The marchers, organized by youth wings of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope) coalition, submitted a memorandum to the embassy near the center of Kuala Lumpur.

They urged the US government to withdraw Adams' nomination and "consider a candidate who is more professional, moderate, and attuned to the importance of Southeast Asia's regional stability."

Around 90 police officers watched the peaceful demonstration and redirected traffic.

Adams (40) was born in Australia and is a naturalized US citizen.

"Single. Alpha Male. Wildly Successful. Built like a Greek God. President Trump's favorite author," Adams has described himself on social media platform X.

He has also claimed on X that "if you stand with Palestine you stand with radical Islamic terrorists and Jew hatred."

Malaysia has no diplomatic ties with Israel and has repeatedly condemned its actions in Gaza and elsewhere.

Kuala Lumpur and Washington are also locked in tariff negotiations after the Trump administration threatened to slap a 25% tariff on imports from Malaysia.

Diplomats agreed that Adams' nomination, which has yet to be confirmed, has placed Anwar's government in a delicate position.

It must negotiate a trade deal with Washington as an August 1 deadline approaches while also trying to mitigate growing calls to reject Adams' appointment to the country of 34.5 million people.

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"The ambassadorship to Malaysia is not a paid holiday job for any loyalist... or any Tom, Dick or Nick," Raja Ahmad Iskandar Fareez, a 36-year-old protester, told AFP.

"In a very uncertain world that we are living in today, we need a skillful diplomat with a steady hand that understands the culture, that understands the nuances of Malaysia," he said.

Adams said in an online statement after his nomination that it was "nothing short of a lifetime's honor to take the President's goodwill and spread it to the great people of Malaysia."