20 NGOs support decision to ban Israeli ships from Malaysian ports

PUTRAJAYA: Twenty non-governmental organisations (NGOs) today expressed their support for the Malaysian government's immediate decision to no longer allow ships flying the Israeli flag into ports throughout the country.

Among the involved NGOs are the Malaysian Islamic Organisations Consultative Council (Mapim), the Global People Welfare Organisation (Sejagat), Persatuan Cinta Gaza Malaysia, Muslim Care Malaysia and the Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement (ABIM).

Mapim President Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid said he represented the NGOs in fully supporting the decision by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today, describing the action as consistent with Malaysia's stance in supporting the Palestinian struggle.

"I and Malaysian NGOs are proud that we can move and raise the issue of Palestine with the government's approval. The Malaysian people, of various ethnicities and religions, are united in their position, considering this issue as a humanitarian one," he told Bernama at the Ministry of Transport here today.

Earlier, he, along with several NGO representatives, submitted a memorandum supporting the government's decision to no longer allow ships flying the Israeli flag to dock in the country to a representative of the Ministry of Transport.

Anwar today announced the Malaysian government's decision to immediately cease allowing ships flying the Israeli flag to dock in the country. The government has also imposed a ban on any ship en route to Israel from loading cargo at Malaysian ports.

Anwar stated that this restriction is a response to Israel's actions, which disregard basic humanitarian principles and violate international law through continuous massacres and atrocities against Palestinian civilians.

Meanwhile, Sejagat president, Syed Sheikh Alattas Syed Hassan, said that Malaysia's firm stance in blocking these ships from docking reflects the country's seriousness in the issue involving the Palestinian people.

"InshaAllah (God willing), we (NGOs) support this, and the Malaysian people will support this decision," he said.

According to international media reports, since the clashes on Oct 7, at least 17,177 Palestinians, including 7,112 children, have been killed, while another 46,000 have been injured.

-- BERNAMA