A Malaysian vessel has been cleared to pass through the Red Sea and is expected to arrive in Malacca early next month, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said.
He said the development demonstrated that Malaysia's foreign policy, together with its good relations with other countries, had enabled several critical issues and shipping crises to be handled effectively.
"Yesterday, Petronas president and group chief executive Tengku Taufik Tengku Aziz informed me that another Petronas vessel, which departed from Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, via the Red Sea, had been granted clearance.
"The vessel will arrive in Malacca in early August, Alhamdulillah," he said when addressing the “Semarak Kenegaraan” programme at the Basic Training Centre of the Malaysian Army in Port Dickson today.
Also present were Chief Secretary to the Government Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari, Chief of Defence Force Malek Razak Sulaiman and Chief of Army Azhan Othman.
The Red Sea has recently become a high-risk shipping route following attacks on commercial vessels by the Iran-backed Houthi group from Yemen.
On Monday, the Houthis announced a "blockade" on Saudi Arabian vessels, about a week after a fresh confrontation erupted with the neighbouring country, which has been in conflict with the group for more than a decade.
The prime minister said Malaysia's good relations with Iran's top leadership had enabled direct communication between the two countries, helping resolve the issue peacefully and swiftly.
"Fortunately, Alhamdulillah, we have good relations with the Iranian government. We maintain good relations with the United States, the Gulf countries and Iran.
“So, when a Petronas vessel was blocked a few months ago after the war began, our good relations enabled me to easily call the president of Iran.
"After conveying my sympathies, I asked him to release the Petronas vessel. Among the first vessels allowed through the Strait of Hormuz was the Petronas vessel, which has since arrived in Pengerang," he said.
Attacks continue
The Malaysian tanker Ocean Thunder was among the first vessels to be granted passage through the Strait of Hormuz, arriving safely at Pengerang Terminal in Johor on April 17.
Passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic narrow waterway through which 20 percent of the world's crude oil and gas passes, was disrupted following continued US and Israeli attacks on Iranian territory and facilities since Feb 28.
This was later followed by the signing of a memorandum of understanding on a peace agreement between the US and Iran, with a final agreement to be reached within a maximum of 60 days.
However, the US has launched a series of attacks across Iran since last week, while Tehran responded by striking facilities and bases it claimed were used by the US military in several countries across West Asia.
Commenting further, the prime minister stressed that the government's approach of maintaining good relations with major powers such as the United States, China, the Gulf states and Iran had proven that Malaysia could safeguard its strategic interests without compromising its principled stance.
"Some people ask why I have good relations with China or with the United States. As a developing country, we maintain good relations.
"But when it comes to the killings in Gaza, or the US' military attack on the Islamic Republic of Iran, Malaysia was among the first countries to convene a special Parliament sitting to condemn the attacks by Israel and the US," he said.
- Bernama
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