SEPANG: The Ministry of Transport (MOT) has issued a stern warning to the port operator who mistakenly allowed a container bearing the logo of Israel-based company, ZIM, to exit the port and end up on the highways.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke (pix) said MOT had previously instructed that all ZIM-branded containers should not leave ports and must be returned to their country of origin or other countries.
“We have just received a report... that the port operator mistakenly allowed this container to exit, so we reprimanded this port.
“They have been given a strong warning that we do not want to see any of these containers leaving our ports (into the country) and what is already there must be removed as soon as possible,“ he told the media after attending the signing ceremony of the Operation Agreement and Land Lease Agreement between the government and Malaysia Airports here today.
Loke said this in response to a viral video of a ZIM container lorry on a highway in the country on March 16.
He also assured that such incidents would not recur.
“This will not happen again. We only have four or five more containers bearing this name (to be removed from the country); unfortunately, one has exited a port,“ he said
Last December, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that the government had decided to immediately stop accepting ships flying the Israeli flag into the country, as well as banning ships en route to Israel from loading cargo at Malaysian ports.
Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, said the government had also decided to immediately block and not allow ships of Israeli-based shipping company, ZIM, to dock at any ports within the country. -Bernama
