JOHOR BARU, June 5 — The Johor Customs Department confirmed that the container bearing the logo of the Israel-based shipping company Zim at the Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) in Iskandar Puteri here is a transshipment cargo container — using Malaysia as a third party transit port under the Free Trade Zone.

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.

"The container will temporarily transit at the third port en route to its next destination in another country.

"Based on the Customs Department’s review, there has been no movement of trade into Malaysia, either through the exit or entry (import and export) ports using the said shipping company’s container,” he said in a statement.

Aminul Izmeer was commenting on Israeli shipping company containers that were earlier spotted at the PTP in Johor.

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.

"The Johor Customs Department is tasked with ensuring control at the country’s entry and exit points, including enforcing bans on containers belonging to shipping companies from Israel by the Transport Ministry.

"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.

On Saturday, Kota Iskandar assemblyman Datuk Pandak Ahmad was reported saying he was surprised to receive a report from concerned residents who claimed that the port was still allowing containers from Israel.

He said residents had questioned the presence of the containers.

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 as well as prohibit any ship en route to Israel from loading cargo at Malaysian ports.

He said the government had decided to block vessels from Israel-based shipping company Zim Integrated Shipping Services Ltd from docking at any Malaysian port.

Following that, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said Zim had to remove its 4,000 transshipment containers that were stranded due to the ban.