Malaysia Said to Seize Another Three Containers Bound for Israel

Authorities in Malaysia have seized several more Israel-bound shipments at one of the country’s biggest ports, according to people familiar with the matter, an apparently new level of scrutiny in a nation where anti-Israeli sentiment runs high. 

Three containers bound for Ashdod Port south of Tel Aviv were detained at Malaysia’s Tanjung Pelepas port in mid-August and to date have not been released as authorities investigate their contents, the people familiar with the matter said, asking not to be identified because they’re not authorized to speak publicly.

The seizures follow an initial detainment of another container on Aug. 7 that originally came from the Philippines and that was suspected by the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency of containing weapons because it was headed to Elbit Systems Ltd., an Israeli defense technology firm, according a statement from the agency at the time. Tracking data from Hapag-Lloyd AG, the container line carrying the cargo, show the shipment still at Tanjung Pelepas.

The other three seizures happened on Aug. 19, the people said. Those containers housed electric bike parts that were being shipped from a Chinese manufacturer, Chongqing Mobimax Technology Co., according manifests seen by Bloomberg News. Tracking data from the liner carrying those cargoes, A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S, also show them still at the busy transshipment port almost a month later.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, commenting on the Aug. 7 seizure, said the Southeast Asian nation would not be a conduit to trade flows that can support or contribute to “the cruelty of the Israeli regime.” Malaysia doesn’t have diplomatic or trade relations with Israel, reflecting its longstanding position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and therefore prohibits imports from and exports to Israel under its customs legislation.

The legislation however excludes transit goods. Representatives for Anwar’s office didn’t respond to a request for comment.

A spokesperson from the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency said the matter is currently under investigation and the agency was unable to comment further. The Royal Malaysian Customs Department, whose legislation the agency uses to conduct enforcement at ports, declined to comment.

The Johor Port Authority, which oversees ports in the Malaysian state, also said the matter is under review. Malaysia’s Ministry of Transport didn’t respond to a request for comment. Representatives for Elbit Systems declined to comment while Mobimax Technology didn’t respond to a request for comment. Representatives for Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk declined to comment.

Pro-Palestinian sentiment has long been strong in Muslim-majority Malaysia and intensified after the Gaza war began in October 2023, driving widespread public protests and consumer boycotts. Anwar, who has been a vocal Israel critic, in December of that year banned Israeli shipping company ZIM Integrated Shipping Services from using Malaysian ports.

More recently, authorities in July this year shuttered crypto investor Balaji Serinivasan’s startup academy, the Johor-based Network School, following an investigation triggered by claims that Israeli students were studying at the tech commune in breach of Malaysian immigration rules. Malaysia also has no diplomatic ties with Israel and passport holders are banned from entering without permission.

The Port of Tanjung Pelepas is located near the Strait of Malacca, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. It’s Malaysia’s second-biggest port but its largest in terms of transshipment volumes, which account for around 90% of the cargo it handles.

With assistance from Galit Altstein and Chunying Zhang.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.