KUALA LUMPUR – The container ship that had docked in Malaysia is no longer owned by an Israeli company, rather it has changed hands to a Hong Kong-based company, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
He added that upon inspection, his agencies previously found that the cargo ship was registered under ZIM.
“However, ownership has changed and the vessel named MV Rotterdam is now owned by Gold Star Line.
“Our policy remains that ships under ZIM are banned from docking in Malaysia. But when ownership changes, we cannot stop them from making port calls in Malaysia,” he was quoted as saying after his ministry’s monthly gathering in Putrajaya today.
Two days ago, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim denied rumours that Israeli shipping company ZIM was allowed to dock in Malaysia.
On December 20, Anwar announced the implementation of a maritime embargo targeting vessels affiliated with Israel, specifically ZIM, which is the largest shipping company in Israel.
This decision came amid increasing concerns about disruptions to global shipping due to attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea.
Last week, it was reported that a cargo ship owned by an Israeli company was seen departing Malaysia, less than five months after the ban.
According to a report, based on Marine Traffic, an app tracking global shipping movements, cargo ship ZIM Rotterdam – managed by ZIM Integrated Shipping Services – docked at Port Klang on April 29.
It departed the next day bound for Shantou Port, China. – May 9, 2024