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LONDON: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim vowed on Tuesday that shipments to Israel\u2019s military would not be allowed to pass through Malaysia after cargo containers heading there were seized.<\/p>\n
His comments came after Bloomberg reported that Malaysian authorities had halted all shipments heading to Israel from one of the country\u2019s largest ports after three containers were stopped by authorities last month.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will not allow our country to be used as a conduit for any shipment that supports or contributes to Israel\u2019s military capabilities and its atrocities against Palestinians and other innocent lives,\u201d Ibrahim wrote on X.<\/p>\n
\u201cAny suspicious shipment will be subject to inspection and investigation in accordance with Malaysian law. Where a violation is established, decisive action will be taken.\u201d<\/p>\n
The three containers were stopped at Tanjung Pelepas Port on Aug. 19 and have been held ever since, the report said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They were destined for Israel\u2019s Ashdod port and contained products from China.<\/p>\n
Malaysia has no diplomatic or trade relations with Israel, but cargo is allowed to transit through the country\u2019s ports from one country to another.<\/p>\n
Bloomberg reported that the seizure could be a shift in Malaysia\u2019s approach to handling Israel-bound cargo.<\/p>\n
Malaysia is a major shipping hub, located along some of the world\u2019s busiest maritime routes through Asia.<\/p>\n
The Malaysian Border Control Agency said the matter remains under investigation.<\/p>\n
The seizure came just two weeks after a container destined for Israeli military technology company Elbit Systems from the Philippines was also stopped in Malaysia.<\/p>\n
Malaysia has been one of the most prominent international critics of Israel and, in particular, the war on Gaza.<\/p>\n
At the BRICS Summit in New Delhi at the weekend, Ibrahim condemned what he described as Israel\u2019s \u201csettler terrorism\u201d in the occupied West Bank.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n