SEPANG: A stern warning has been issued to the port operator that “mistakenly” released a container bearing the logo of Israel-based shipping company Zim Integrated Shipping Services Ltd, says Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
This comes after a recent video depicting a lorry carrying a container bearing the company’s logo was circulated over social media.
Loke said the ministry had also received a report that a port operator mistakenly allowed one of the company’s containers to leave the port.
“We will reprimand the operator and issue a stern warning. We do not want to see any of these containers leave the port.
“Whatever (containers from the company are) left behind must depart the country as soon as possible.
“What happened was a mistake by the port operator and we will reprimand them,” he told a press conference here on Monday (March 18).
He did not disclose the name of the port operator.
Loke said following the decision by the government in December to deny the company from docking in Malaysia, some of its containers had been left behind but only four or five still remained in the country.
“Their ships have been denied access to dock in Malaysia.
“We cannot lie about this as international groups can track the movement of their ships.
“However, since the company operated in Malaysia previously, it has containers that have yet to be removed from here.
“We have also established that all containers bearing its name cannot leave the ports and must return to their country of origin,” he said.
On Dec 20, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that local ports will no longer accept ships with the Israeli flag to dock in the country as well as prohibit any ship en route to Israel from loading cargo at Malaysian ports with immediate effect.
Anwar said the move was in response to Israel violating international laws and ignoring humanitarian principles through its continuous atrocities against Palestinians.
