KUALA LUMPUR – Israel-based shipping company ZIM will have to manage the transportation of its 4,000 containers out of Port Klang on its own, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
The onus is now on the company following Putrajaya’s decision to ban all ZIM ships, as well as vessels with the Israel flag and those headed to Israel, from docking and unloading cargo at Malaysian ports.
Loke said ZIM must contact other shipping companies first to transport its containers to their next destination, Bernama quoted him saying after the signing ceremony of the lease agreement between MRT Corp and the Federal Lands Commissioner in Putrajaya this afternoon.
”All of these containers are handled by ZIM. So when we take this action by prohibiting them from docking, this shipping company needs to contact other shipping companies to transport these containers out in the near future to their next destination,” he said.
He added that while this must be done as soon as possible, ZIM will be given sufficient time as its containers are currently at various ports and are bound for different destinations.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced the government’s ban on ZIM vessels from anchoring in Malaysia, in response to Israel’s war in Gaza.
He said the permanent ban on the company will take effect immediately. Ships that display the Israeli flag, or those heading to Israel, are also banned from docking or loading cargo at local ports. – December 21, 2023