RESPONSE TO ARTICLE “THE M'SIA-S'PORE MARITIME DISPUTE ILLUSTRATED”, DATED 24 DECEMBER 2018

2 January 2019

Editor-in-Chief

Malaysiakini

RESPONSE TO ARTICLE “THE M'SIA-S'PORE MARITIME DISPUTE ILLUSTRATED”, DATED 24 DECEMBER 2018

The article “The M'sia-S'pore maritime dispute illustrated” published by Malaysiakini on 24 December 2018, quotes a “Malaysian official” as saying that Malaysia’s purported extension of the Johor Bahru Port Limits was to “deal with illicit activities in the area”, and that “Malaysia had monitored the area for months and found that it was unpatrolled.” This is inaccurate. Singapore has continuously exercised its jurisdiction in those waters without any protest from Malaysia. Singapore’s security agencies have also been patrolling the area regularly. Prior to 25 October 2018, Malaysia had never claimed the waters covered by the recent purported extension of the Johor Bahru Port Limits. The purported extension of the Johor Bahru Port Limits and the intrusions by Malaysian Government vessels into Singapore Territorial Waters around Tuas are a serious violation of Singapore’s sovereignty and international law.

                The article also goes on to quote “Malaysian officials” as saying that “despite a previous agreement to negotiate the maritime border off Tuas, Singapore has to date refused to do so”. This is patently untrue. As part of the 2005 Settlement Agreement in the Case concerning Land Reclamation by Singapore in and around the Straits of Johor between Singapore and Malaysia, both countries agreed to settle the unresolved issues pertaining to the maritime boundaries through “amicable negotiations without prejudice to the existing rights of Parties under international law to resort to other pacific means of settlement.”  As indicated in the previous paragraph, Malaysia had never claimed the waters before 25 October 2018.  There was therefore no unresolved issue between the parties over these waters. They were indisputably Singapore’s. Moreover, Malaysia has never proposed any boundary negotiation with Singapore on the basis of the Settlement Agreement. Singapore has always been open to finding an amicable resolution of issues between Singapore and Malaysia in accordance with international law, and in the spirit of preserving our important bilateral relationship.

                I hope that this clarification will set the record straight. Please publish this clarification in full.

Yours faithfully,

Zhiping Lin
Press Officer
High Commission of the Republic of Singapore