KUALA LUMPUR — BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) Malaysia wants authorities here to investigate United O7 Asia Sdn Bhd, said to be the Asian headquarters of Danish shipping firm Ocean7 Projects Aps over a vessel carrying weapons meant for Israel’s use in its genocide against Palestine.
BDS Malaysia is taking issue with Ocean 7’s statement yesterday denying United O7 Asia’s involvement in the shipment.
“This is a bare denial without any supporting evidence. We are asked to believe that its Asian headquarters in Kuala Lumpur is neither actively nor passively involved when MV Kathrin was making her way from Haiphong, Vietnam down to Singapore up through the Malacca Straits and beyond.
“No matter the extent of the involvement of its various offices, United O7 Asia and Ocean7 Projects cannot deny its overall corporate responsibility if one of its projects violates the international law against genocide,” the pro-Palestine group said in a statement today.
United O7 Asia is located here, with information online showing that it was registered in the federal territory in 2019 to conduct business involving cargo handling activities.
BDS Malaysia representatives lodged a police report at the Sentul police station yesterday over the involvement of United O7 Asia, as a Malaysia-based company, in carrying explosives to be used by Israel on Palestine.
“BDS Malaysia therefore calls on the relevant Malaysian agencies to investigate thoroughly the activities of the company to see if MV Kathrin is the sole instance of it being involved in the operations to transport explosives and other lethal war materials to Israel or if there had been more in the past.
“Either way, the company should be ordered to cease its operations in Malaysia.
“The Malaysian government must not only do everything at its disposal not to be in complicity with genocide, it must also be seen to be doing so,” BDS Malaysia said in its statement today.
Ocean7’s statement yesterday said it was “solely acting” as an agent for MV Kathrin, a Portuguese-flagged vessel, which BDS Malaysia said is carrying military explosives destined for Israel.
Ocean7 said the vessel itself was not scheduled to “stop in Israel”, although it will be stopping in Montenegro and Slovenia before its final destination in the Adriatic Sea.
BDS Malaysia, however, said the main issue is that the vessel’s cargo would be unloaded at its final destination “and then delivered by other means to its final destination of Israel to be used for bombs and missiles”.
“We have the evidence to support this. Latest information is that the port will be Koper in Slovenia,” BDS Malaysia said.
Additionally, it claimed having evidence to support Ocean7’s management and operation of the vessel, if the company did not own it. — September 14, 2024