KUALA LUMPUR: Ships with the Israeli flag will not be allowed to dock in Malaysia with immediate effect, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced on Wednesday (Dec 20).
Any vessels en route to Israel will also be banned from loading cargo at Malaysian ports.
“These restrictions are a response to Israel’s actions that ignore basic humanitarian principles and violate international law through continuous massacres and atrocities against the Palestinians,” said Anwar, who is also the finance minister.
He said the government is confident that the decisions will not affect Malaysian trade activities.
In addition, Anwar said the government decided to block the Israeli-based shipping company, ZIM, from docking at any port in the country with immediate effect.
“For the record, the Cabinet began permitting ships owned by this company to dock in Malaysia in 2002.
“In 2005, the Cabinet at that time granted permission for those ships to land in Malaysia. However, the current government has decided to revoke all previous Cabinet decisions,” he added.
Malaysia is a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause and does not have diplomatic ties with Israel. Anwar has refused to bow to Western pressure for him to cut ties with Hamas.
In October, more than 16,000 people, including Anwar, turned up at a rally as Malaysia staged a show of support for the Palestinians amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
All educational institutions under Malaysia’s Ministry of Education also held a Palestine Solidarity Week from Oct 29 to Nov 3 “to educate students about humane values that also include human rights and compassion”, said the ministry in October.