PETALING JAYA: Malaysia will never allow its ports to be used as a route for trade that could support or contribute to Israel's actions against Palestinians, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The Prime Minister said this while praising the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) after it seized a container bound for Israel.
"Congratulations to AKPS for its swift action in seizing a container suspected of carrying a shipment of strategic goods for export to Israel.
"This action demonstrates Malaysia's firmness in ensuring that our country will never become a route for trade that could support or contribute to the atrocities of the Israeli regime against the Palestinian people," he said in a Facebook post on Saturday (Aug 8).
Anwar said this also in line with Malaysia's commitment under The Hague Group, as well as a ban imposed since December 2023 on ships and vessels carrying cargo to Israel from using Malaysian ports.
"Malaysia will continue to firmly uphold the principles of humanity, justice and international law in defending the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people," he added.
On Friday (Aug 7), AKPS said it had detected and seized the container at the Tanjung Pelepas Port in Johor with preliminary checks indicating that the shipment violated export restrictions on goods destined directly or indirectly for Israel.
AKPS said it would also conduct further investigations to determine the nature, specifications, intended use and classification of the goods, including whether they constituted strategic goods regulated under the Strategic Trade Act 2010.
