Malaysia’s ambassador to the United States was summoned by the U.S. State Department to explain Kuala Lumpur’s position on Israel, state media reported, citing the country’s foreign minister. Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said Ambassador Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakob told the State Department that Malaysia’s longstanding policy of not recognising Israel was not new.
Background
The row was triggered after a digital nomad community founded in Malaysia by U.S. investor Balaji Srinivasan came under scrutiny after social media users alleged that it included participants from Israel. Malaysia does not have diplomatic ties with Israel and is known to be a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause.
An immigration probe into the community followed, and authorities found that all its participants had valid travel documents. However, it was eventually shut down by authorities. Eight U.S. congressmen later sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressing outrage over Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s plan to track down and immediately deport any Israeli citizens found in Malaysia.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
