UPDATE – ‘Not a shred of evidence’ of ship-to-ship transfer of Iranian oil off Malaysia: Premier

ADDS COMMENTS FROM PRIME MINISTER AT DOHA EVENT, CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK

By Riyaz ul Khali and Serdar Dincel

ISTANBUL (AA) – Malaysia’s prime minister said Tuesday that there was “not one of shred of evidence” of the ship-to-ship transfer of sanctioned Iranian oil off the Southeast Asian country’s coast.

Anwar Ibrahim was responding to a question by a reporter from Bloomberg during a livestreamed event in the Qatari capital Doha on US concerns over the flow of money from Southeast Asia to the Palestinian group Hamas.

He said Malaysia does “not have the capacity to observe or monitor” any such kind of oil transfers.

His comments came after the US Treasury Department’s top sanctions official, Brian Nelson, visited the capital Kuala Lumpur early this month.

Nelson discussed issues related to funds being moved to Iran and its proxies and funding for Hamas from Malaysia’s financial system.

Washington has said that it was trying to prevent Malaysia from becoming a jurisdiction where Hamas could both fundraise and then move money.

The US claims Iran's capacity to move its oil was due to service providers based in Malaysia.

Kuala Lumpur has, however, rejected any threats of sanctions, arguing that Malaysia does not recognize sanctions imposed by individual nations.

Anwar told the event in Doha that Malaysia has positively responded to requests by the US on such issues.

Malaysia maintains “excellent relations with the United States,” he said, referring to the high number of investments coming into the Southeast Asian nation.

“Malaysia has become a hub for semiconductors in the region,” said Anwar, pointing to investments by Microsoft and Google.

However, he added: “I made it very clear; we’re strong in our relations with China. I don’t want to subscribe to this Sinophobia (as) we have been traditional allies.”

“We do differ with some of their policies, what are considered contradictions, hypocrisy. But overall, we are still friends.”

- ‘Need not be told who to meet’

When pressed on his meeting Monday with Ismail Haniyeh, the Doha-based political bureau chief of Hamas, Anwar said he maintains “good relations with Hamas, with the political wing.”

“I have no involvement, no discussion with the (group’s) military apparatus,” he said.

Recalling Israel’s assassination last month of sons and grandchildren of Haniyeh in Gaza, he said he expressed sympathies to the Hamas chief.

“I met Ismael Haniyeh and (senior Hamas official) Khaled Mashal to understand from the latest developments other than of course with the Qatari leaders…(to) ask their point of view (on) what’s happening,” said Anwar, who concluded his official three-day trip to Doha.

“I respect the initiative by the Qataris, the Arab League, by the OIC (Organization of Islamic Cooperation), by the international community…There must be preparedness to secure peace,” he said about Israel’s war on the besieged Palestinian enclave of Gaza.

“There must be preparedness to observe, respect the decisions or recommendations of your neighbors,” he added.

On demands by Hamas, Anwar said they are “to stop the continued aggression, atrocities against children, women and continued bombardment of Gaza, and that includes settlements.”

“This illegal occupation, we’re talking about colonization,” he said, recalling the West’s position on Russia’s war on Ukraine.

“What was discussed on Ukraine is about colonization,” said Anwar, who is also a reputed academic.

It “is robbing, the dispossession of other lands…that’s all. For that, I’m sympathetic for them (Palestinians). You don’t tell me who I should meet or whom I should not,” he said when a journalist asked about his meeting with Hamas’ leadership.

Anwar said he met with the Hamas delegation on Monday in “line with Malaysia's stance and commitment to continue to play a role in stopping attacks and violence in Gaza and Rafah.”

"Malaysia will continue to commit to play its role at the international level to stop attacks on Rafah while mobilizing more agile efforts to help the victims of the Gaza war, especially in the aspects of humanitarian aid, medicine and education," Anwar said on X.

Anwar said Malaysia "appreciates the willingness of Hamas to release prisoners, especially children and women, and to accept the peace plan of the Arab world, the OIC and the international community."

"At the same time, Malaysia urges Israel to stop the massacre of Palestinians, release all Palestinian prisoners and agree to a peace plan," he added.

The Malaysian premier held phone conversations with Haniyeh after Israel launched an unrelenting offensive on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by Hamas last Oct. 7 which killed some 1,200 people.

The Palestinian death toll from Israel’s ongoing offensive on the Gaza Strip has surged to 35,173, the Health Ministry in the enclave said Tuesday.

Malaysia has donated over $4.2 million in aid to Palestinians since October last year. This is in addition to Malaysia's annual commitment of $200,000 to the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) from 2021 through next year.

During a speech at Hamad bin Khalifa University in Doha, Anwar mentioned challenges and tribulations in the “post-normal era that demand the leaders of the Muslim world to mobilize their strength to face the issues of Islamophobia, discrimination and hypocrisy of the world's major powers.”

“Muslims must remain sane and return to the root of strength that is supported by the culture of knowledge, morals, mercy, humanity and piety that underlies the teachings of Islam,” he said.