The US Department of State called in Malaysia’s ambassador to Washington, Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakob, to clarify Kuala Lumpur’s position regarding Israel, according to Malaysian state media which cited Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan.
During the meeting, Ambassador Yaakob reiterated that Malaysia’s ongoing refusal to recognize the Israeli government is an established stance.
“It has always been Malaysia’s policy. Our immigration policy does not recognize the State of Israel or the Zionist regime. This has long been our position," the Ambassador reportedly said, as quoted by Reuters.
Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan explained late Thursday that the situation involved an American-Israeli national who used a US travel document to enter the country.
“There was an individual with dual citizenship, the US and Israel, who entered Malaysia using his U.S. passport. However, subsequent checks revealed that he also held Israeli citizenship, and we asked him to leave," said Hasan.
The diplomatic rift stems from public controversy surrounding the Network School, a venture for digital nomads founded by American investor Balaji Srinivasan. Social media allegations surfaced suggesting that Israelis were participating in the program.
An official investigation into the Network School confirmed that all attendees possessed legitimate passports and entry papers. Nevertheless, Malaysian authorities shut down the initiative on Tuesday.
In wake of the school saga, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim recently announced his intent to identify and immediately expel Israeli passport holders from Malaysia. A group of eight US congressmen has dispatched a formal letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, condemning the move.
The American lawmakers requested that the State Department re-evaluate bilateral economic and security partnerships. Furthermore, they demanded a suspension of funding for the International Military Education and Training (IMET) program - which delivers specialized military training to Malaysian defense personnel - unless Kuala Lumpur reverses its directive within 15 days.
Malaysia does not have diplomatic ties with Israel. In December of 2023, in fact, a Malaysian citizen was arrested after posting a video to social media in which he called for peace with Israel.
Later that month, Malaysia banned Israeli-flagged cargo ships from docking at its ports in response to Israel's actions in Gaza, which it said ignores "basic humanitarian principles".
In 2022, Malaysia said it arrested suspected Mossad agents who tried to kidnap a Palestinian Arab who was acting on behalf of Hamas in Kuala Lumpur.
(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)