Johor Customs Department director Aminul Izmeer Mohd Sohaimi said the relevant port authorities have confirmed that the container was in the process of goods movement and was authorised by the Transport Ministry.
He explained that as a normal transshipment process, the cargo will move from the departing port to the destination port and transit via a third port in the scheduled trip.“Based on the Customs Department’s review, there has been no movement of trade into Malaysia, either through the exit or entry ports using the said shipping company’s container,” he said in a statement.
The presence of the containers was reported and raised questions about Malaysia’s policy of having no diplomatic relations and no trade agreements with Israel.Aminul Izmeer said PTP, the second port in Johor and has been gazetted as a Free Trade Zone under the Free Zones Act 1990, is a cargo transfer port and main transshipment port in Malaysia.
“However, movement within the free zone is subject to the Free Zones Act 1990 and under the control of the zoning authority which is the Port Tanjung Pelepas Sdn Bhd,” he said.