Malaysia seizes 3 Israeli-bound containers as Anwar pledges to stop shipments for Gaza war

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 had not been released as authorities investigate their contents, the people familiar with the matter said, asking not to be identified because they were not authorised to speak publicly.

The seizures follow an initial detainment of another container on August 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, an Israeli defence technology firm, according to a statement from the agency at the time. Tracking data from Hapag-Lloyd, the container line carrying the cargo, show the shipment still at Tanjung Pelepas.

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

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, commenting on the August 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 does not have diplomatic or trade relations with Israel, reflecting its long-standing position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Malaysia’s customs legislation prohibits trade with Israel, but excludes transit goods. The Strategic Trade Act 2010, however, bars transshipment of military, strategic dual-use goods.

“Any suspicious shipment will be subject to inspection and investigation in accordance with Malaysian law. Where a violation is established, decisive action will be taken,” Anwar said on social media on Tuesday, in an apparent reference to the latest seizure.

“We will not allow our country to be used as a conduit for any shipment that supports or contributes to Israel’s military capabilities and its atrocities against Palestinians and other innocent lives.”

We will not allow our country to be used as a conduit for any shipment that supports ... Israel’s military capabilities

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim

A representative from the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency said the matter was 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 was under review. Malaysia’s Ministry of Transport did not respond to a request for comment. Representatives for Elbit Systems declined to comment while Mobimax Technology did not 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 closed crypto investor Balaji Serinivasan’s start-up 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 is Malaysia’s second biggest port but its largest in terms of transshipment volumes, which account for around 90 per cent of the cargo it handles.