KUALA LUMPUR – The US embassy here has denied online rumours accusing Washington of having imposed new sanctions on Malaysian companies.
In a post on social media platform X, the embassy added that it had not listed Malaysia as a “state sponsor of terror”.
“The hoax below circulating on WhatsApp and other social media is fake news.”
Tagging news agency Reuters, the Communications Ministry and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, the embassy also attached an image of a message claiming to be a May 10 news article from the foreign news site.
Earlier today, Reuters denied claims it reported Malaysia as the first country in Southeast Asia to be listed as a state sponsor of terrorism by the United States.
Sharing Reuters’ denial on X, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil reiterated the refutation, adding that he had confirmed with the embassy that Malaysia was not on Washington’s sanctions list.
Last Saturday, Reuters reported on a planned visit by US Treasury officials – undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence Brian Nelson and general counsel Neil MacBride – to Malaysia this week for talks on stopping the flow of funds to Iran for its drone programme.
The international newswire service had reported in December last year about US Treasury sanctions on four Malaysia-based companies believed to be fronts that supported the programme.
On Tuesday, Nelson reportedly said Iran was reliant on Malaysia-based service providers to move its oil throughout the region. Washington is also trying to prevent Malaysia from being used by Hamas to fundraise and move money, he said.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has since said he met with Nelson and reiterated Malaysia’s stand of only recognising sanctions by the UN Security Council, and not unilateral sanctions. – May 11, 2024