The Palestinian BDS National Committee, the largest coalition of Palestinian civil society leading the global BDS movement, welcomes the swift action taken by Malaysian authorities to seize and inspect military materiel cargo destined for Elbit Systems, which was being transshipped at Tanjung Pelepas port.
We commend BDS Malaysia and all partners who continue to work tirelessly to ensure apartheid Israel is held accountable for its genocide, ethnic cleansing and war crimes against Palestinian people. This coordinated action, from ports to political corridors, has exposed and halted the supply chain of military and dual-use materiel that allows apartheid Israel to execute the ongoing genocide against 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza and the growing ethnic cleaning in occupied West Bank including East Jerusalem.
Malaysian government has led the way for policies in defence of international law and to hold apartheid Israel accountable, especially since the beginning of the genocide in Gaza. By taking swift action and confiscating this suspicious cargo, Malaysian authorities have shown yet again what the commitment to end genocide looks like.
Yet, this foiled attempt to use Malaysian ports for transshipment of military materiel to Israel highlights the urgent need for rigorous controls to ensure policies are actually implemented. We call on the people of Malaysia to push for a stringent duediligence policy for Malaysian ports, to ensure such breaches are not repeated.