Putrajaya says won't allow any more US warships to dock, as critics pan Anwar's 'double face'

Putrajaya appears to have backtracked on its earlier justification for allowing two American combat ships en route to join the US-Israeli aggression against Iran to dock at a local port, following protests from opposition politicians and NGO groups who warned Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim that it "does not absolve Malaysia of moral or political responsibility".

MalaysiaNow has learnt that the government has decided to stop accepting port of call applications from US warships to dock at any Malaysian ports, a day after Defence Minister Khaled Nordin defended the presence of the USS Tulsa and USS Santa Barbara at the North Butterworth Container Terminal in Penang.

The two littoral combat ships (LCS) are believed to be on their way to join the US fleet  in the Persian Gulf.

Following reports of the ships' sightings, Khaled said it was a "routine port of call for logistical purposes" which was approved by the government.

"Malaysia has clear procedures in place, where every docking request must go through official channels and is subject to approval by the Malaysian government," he said.

But in an about-turn, the Malaysian government has conveyed a message to the US government that it will no longer allow US warships to stop at its ports.

According to prominent anti-Israel activist Nazari Ismail, who cited an official at the Prime Minister's Office, the message was conveyed by foreign ministry secretary-general Amran Zin to David “Chip” Gamble, chargé d’affaires at the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

Nazari, who heads the local chapter of the anti-Israel global boycott campaign Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS), was part of about two dozen civil society groups who warned Anwar against allowing Malaysia to have any role in the US-Israeli war against Iran, which has sparked a regional conflict, killed thousands of civilians, and displaced more than three million people across the Middle East.

"The assertion that these vessels complied with 'established procedures' is insufficient. Administrative compliance does not absolve Malaysia of moral or political responsibility," said the letter signed by 24 NGOs, including those seen as politically aligned to Anwar's PKR.

"The United States is currently engaged in unlawful and unprovoked military aggression against Iran. Allowing its naval vessels to dock – however routine this is framed – amounts to enabling such actions.

"Malaysia must not serve as a logistical waypoint for war."

It comes amid concerns that any Malaysian involvement, even remotely, could be interpreted by Tehran as aiding its enemies, potentially making its interests in the Middle East a legitimate target for Iran.

Iran has launched missile and drone attacks targeting Washington's allies, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Bahrain, resulting in widespread disruption of commerce and air travel in the region and paralysing Gulf economies.

'Double-faced Anwar'

Critics were not surprised by Malaysia's decision to allow the two warships to dock, many of whom said it reflects Anwar's "double face" when addressing US hegemony, something that past administrations, most notably that of Dr Mahathir Mohamad, had consistently opposed.

Anwar's move to sign the heavily criticised Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) after welcoming President Donald Trump in Kuala Lumpur last October has only reinforced the view that Malaysia has become a US ally, breaking away from its long-held foreign policy of non-alignment with superpowers.

The prime minister is currently the subject of more than 300 police reports accusing him of sabotaging national interests by signing the trade deal.

Just days after Trump's visit, Khaled signed a memorandum of understanding with his US counterpart Pete Hegseth – the current face of the US bombing campaign against Iran, who promised "death and destruction from the sky all day long" – to enhance defence cooperation and information sharing with the Pentagon.

"We like to play both sides. Some justify this by saying that it means we are flexible. In reality, it makes Malaysia untrustworthy," said prominent lawyer Rafique Rashid.

"One day we oppose Zionism, the next day we are dancing with Zionist supporters," he added, referring to Anwar dancing alongside Trump last year.

Anwar had defied protests and invited Trump to attend the Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur on Oct 26 last year, just two weeks after the US president visited Israel, where he addressed the Knesset and assured Benjamin Netanyahu of sophisticated weapons for the Zionist regime.

Rafique accused Anwar of hypocrisy, saying the current foreign policy is a far cry from the principled stance taken by Mahathir in the past.

He said there was a time when Malaysia championed the oppressed.

"We would defend weaker countries. Our voice was strong. Who could forget 'Jews rule the world by proxy. They get others to kill for them'?" he said, quoting a famous line from Mahathir's 2003 speech at the Organisation of the Islamic Conference summit, which triggered the "anti-Semitic" label against him from the Zionist lobby in the US.

It is a view that resonates with many Malaysians, who took to social media to accuse Anwar of double-talk.

"The previous PM was fine. At least he had backbone. This one just loves to bend over," wrote Noor Ezureen Abu Bakar, in one of hundreds of comments on Facebook.

One user, Ryan Raykarl, said Anwar has been able to conceal his pro-US policies by hosting foreign speakers who are against Western imperialism.

He cited a recent event in Kuala Lumpur featuring prominent US academic and Trump critic Jeffrey Sachs, which Anwar attended.

"Unfortunately, they are misinformed about Malaysian politics because the opposition is not active in spreading true information at the international level," he added.