Malaysia detains three additional Israel-bound containers at Tanjung Pelepas port

In mid-August, Malaysian officials detained three containers bound for Ashdod Port in Israel at the busy Tanjung Pelepas terminal, and the cargo has not yet been released. Shipping records show the goods are electric-bike components from Chinese manufacturer Chongqing Mobimax Technology Co., carried by A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S. This follows an earlier seizure on Aug. 7 of a container suspected of carrying weapons for Israeli defence company Elbit Systems, which was flagged by the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has reiterated that Malaysia will not serve as a conduit for trade that could support the Israeli regime, citing one outlet’s longstanding prohibition on imports from and exports to Israel. While the country’s customs legislation bans direct trade with Israel, it does not cover transit cargo, prompting heightened scrutiny of shipments passing through the country’s second-largest port, which handles about 90% of its cargo as transshipment. The investigations are ongoing, with several agencies declining comment.