Israel-marked container held in transit
JOHOR BARU: The container bearing the logo of an Israeli-based shipping company is at the Tanjung Pelepas Port (PTP) for transit, says Johor Customs Department.

Its director Aminul Izmeer Mohd Sohaimi said the port authority confirmed that the container is a transshipment container – a container that is in the process of being moved from one mode of transport to another while in transit to its destination.

“The cargo was to move to its destination port from Malaysia,” he said in a statement.

Aminul Izmeer said checks made by the department found that there was no movement of trade into Malaysia either through the port’s import or export channel using the Israeli shipping company’s container.

He said PTP is the main transshipment port in Malaysia – it is the second port in Johor and has been gazetted as a free trade zone under the Free Zones Act 1990.

“The Royal Malaysian Customs Department is a significant organisation controlling the country’s exit and entry points. However, movement within the free trade zone is subject to the Act.

“This means that movement at such areas is under the control of the port authority. “In this context, the zoning authority is Port Tanjung Pelepas Sdn Bhd,” he added.

Aminul Izmeer said the department always ensures control through import and export, including enforcing bans by the Transport Ministry on containers belonging to shipping companies from Israel.The incident came to light when Kota Iskandar assemblyman Datuk Pandak Ahmad said he received a report claiming that the port allowed a ship with containers from Israel to dock there.

In a separate case, a container bearing the logo of Israel-based shipping company Zim was detained and turned back at the border checkpoint in Padang Besar, Perlis.

The state Customs Department said the container, which was transporting frozen chicken, was detained around noon on Sunday when a lorry from a neighbouring country passed through the scanner at the checkpoint.

It is believed that the chicken was meant for distribution in Malaysia.

State Customs director Ismail Hashim said that after the company logo was spotted on the container, the consignment was seized for confirmation and further checks.

“The lorry was then ordered to turn back along with the container and its contents on Sunday,” he said in a statement.

On Sunday, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi called for an immediate probe on claims that containers bearing the Zim logo were at a port in Iskandar Puteri.

On Tuesday, he urged the Transport Ministry to step up monitoring of all ports in Malaysia to keep Israeli vessels from docking.

In December last year, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that the government would no longer accept ships flying the Israeli flag into the country with immediate effect and that any ship en route to Israel would be prohibited from loading cargo at Malaysian ports.
PTP,Israel,Customs Department,Cargo in Transit
JOHOR BARU: The container bearing the logo of an Israeli-based shipping company is at the Tanjung Pelepas Port (PTP) for transit, says Johor Customs Department.