KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 12 — The Singapore government has cautioned Putrajaya over its deployment of vessels to waters currently contested by the two countries, saying this may prevent a positive outcome from the bilateral talks due next month.
In a press conference with his country’s media, Singapore Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan again urged Malaysia to withdraw its ships from what he claimed was “Singapore’s borders”.
“Otherwise this risk is also not conducive to the upcoming bilateral discussions that were going to hold next month,” he told the media.
The recording of the press conference was made available to Malay Mail.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Malaysian vessels will remain in the disputed waters along the Malaysia-Singapore maritime border and will stay there until the negotiation process between the two countries is settled.
Despite Khaw’s assertion, Malaysian vessels are not encroaching on Singapore’s border as the area is still contested.
Khaw also repeated a warning to Putrajaya that its decision not to withdraw completely “creates an unnecessary risk of accidents on the ground”.
Singapore previously put the responsibility for any incidents on Malaysia, ignoring the presence of its own vessels in the same disputed waters.
Today, Khaw also said his country’s vessels will continue to patrol the contested waters.
“We explained to them that stationing their ships in our waters does not make an iota of difference to their legal claim, it doesn’t enhance their legal case,” he said earlier.
Friction arose between the neighbouring nations after Singapore claimed the expanded Johor Baru port limits encroached into its waters in Tuas whereas Malaysia holds that Singapore that unilaterally extended its maritime boundary off Tuas and into Malaysian waters.
Wisma Putra is currently arranging for the bilateral talks with its Singaporean counterpart.
