According to Haaretz, these systems that Malaysia purchased were non-invasive.

“The systems concentrate open-source information and analyse it in a way that enables conclusions to be drawn from big data and to assist the authorities.

“Our investigation found that Israeli firms sold systems of this kind to Angola and Malaysia,” the daily reported.

Its investigation, spanning 100 sources in 15 countries, revealed that Israel has become a leading exporter of tools for spying on civilians.

Private Israeli companies, the daily reported, had also sold espionage and intelligence-gathering software to Bahrain, Indonesia, Bangladesh and El Salvador, among others.

“In addition, the investigation corroborated earlier reports over the years about sales to Malaysia, Vietnam, Mexico, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Honduras, Trinidad and Tobago, Peru, Colombia, Uganda, Nigeria, Ecuador and the United Arab Emirates,” the report read.

The news of Malaysia being a customer of Israeli companies may ruffle some feathers in view of the fact that Putrajaya is a long-standing critic of the Jewish state.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had recently slammed Israel for its treatment of Palestinians in his address at the United Nations General Assembly last month.

In 2011, Putrajaya had confirmed that despite Malaysia not having diplomatic relations with Israel, trade between companies in both countries existed.