Malaysia’s government declared on Wednesday an immediate ban on Israeli-owned and flagged ships, along with vessels destined for Israel, from docking at its ports.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s office stated that this action was a direct response to Israel’s conduct in the conflict with Hamas, citing concerns about “cruelty against the Palestinian people.”
The statement from the Prime Minister’s office emphasized the move as a reaction to Israel’s actions, which it claimed disregarded humanitarian principles and violated international law through an alleged ongoing massacre and cruelty against Palestinians.
Malaysia, being a Muslim-majority country, has a history of supporting Palestinian causes and does not recognize Israel, aligning with neighboring countries like Indonesia, Brunei, Bangladesh, the Maldives, and Pakistan.
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The recent Israeli military actions in Gaza, following Hamas’ attacks on October 7, led to widespread protests in Malaysia and added political pressure on Prime Minister Anwar.
Anwar has been a vocal critic of Israel and its U.S. backers, even though the U.S. is a significant trading partner for Malaysia.
In a parliamentary speech in November, Anwar expressed the government’s commitment to maintaining ties with Hamas, refraining from punishing the group for the October 7 attacks.
Malaysian passports explicitly state, “Valid for all countries except Israel,” and Israeli passport holders are not allowed to enter Malaysia without prior permission.
The government’s statement highlighted that Israeli-registered companies and ships had been permitted to dock in Malaysia since 2005.
However, the current government has chosen to override this decision, emphasizing the ban on ships using Israeli flags, including those of the global shipping company ZIM, which has been docking in Malaysia since 2002.
Additionally, Malaysia has implemented a ban on ships heading to Israel from loading cargo at its ports.
