Singapore describes Johor MB's boat ride into disputed waters a 'provocative act'

Datuk Osman Sapian. -Bernama filepic

JOHOR BARU: The diplomatic row between Malaysia and Singapore seems to be worsening, with the island republic describing the recent boat ride by the Johor Mentri Besar into disputed waters between both countries as a "provocative act".

The Singapore Foreign Affairs, in a statement, said it sent a diplomatic note to Malaysia on Friday (Jan 11) to protest the unauthorised visit by Datuk Osman Sapian (pic) on Jan 9 on the Marine Department vessel Pedoman, which it claimed was anchored illegally in Singapore's territorial waters off Tuas.

"The intrusion by the Johor Mentri Besar created an atmosphere which is not conducive to hold the 14th meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee for Iskandar Malaysia (JMCIM), originally scheduled on 14 January 2019, leading to Singapore's decision to postpone the JMCIM meeting, which Malaysia had agreed to," the spokesman said.

However, the statement added that Singapore welcomed Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali's initiative to make a bilateral visit and his upcoming meetings on Jan 13 and 14.

The Star had first reported that the JMCIM meeting was in limbo, after a Marine Department vessel with the Johor Mentri Besar onboard sailed near disputed waters between both countries on Wednesday (Jan 9).

Singapore responded to the incident by sending several vessels to the area off the Port of Tanjung Pelepas, while expressing its dissatisfaction over the incident.

The Malaysian delegation to the JMCIM was supposed to have been led by Azmin, Mentri Besar Datuk Osman Sapian and other Johor state leaders.

Several ministers from Singapore were supposed to attend the JMCIM.

It is learnt that other government officials were onboard MV Pedoman with Osman and they were briefed about the territorial dispute by senior Marine Department officers.

They were out at sea for two hours and Osman had thanked the officers for their sacrifices and commitment to ensuring the security of the country's border.

Meanwhile, several Singapore vessels were seen sailing into the area at the same time.

The incident comes days after both countries agreed to measures to find mutual agreeable solutions and to de-escalate tensions over bilateral disputes.

On Jan 8, Malaysia and Singapore agreed for both sides to immediately and simultaneously suspend Malaysia's permanent restricted area over Pasir Gudang and Singapore's implementation of the Instrument Landing System (ILS) procedure for Seletar Airport.

Both suspensions are for a period of one month in the first instance, according to a joint statement issued after a bilateral meeting between Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah and his Singapore counterpart, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan in Singapore.

Both countries agreed that in the meantime, the respective transport ministers should meet soon for discussions on the restricted area and the ILS procedure to ensure the safety and efficiency of civil aviation.

On maritime issues surrounding the Johor Baru and Singapore port limits, the two ministers agreed to set up a working group headed by the permanent secretary of the Singapore Foreign Ministry and the Wisma Putra secretary-general.