Singapore extends port limits off Tuas, says will guard sovereignty

Singapore

SINGAPORE has extended its port limits off Tuas in response to Malaysia's latest intrusion in its waters, warning it would not hesitate to take firm action to protect its territory and sovereignty if necessary.

"This extension is well within Singapore Territorial Waters and tracks the eastern boundary of the 1999 Johor Bahru Port Limits," Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said in a prepared statement at a press conference on Thursday.

He explained that Malaysia had unilaterally drawn and published the territorial water it claims in 1979. This included its claim on Pedra Branca as well as areas at the eastern and western approaches to Singapore.

Mr Khaw said the boundary lines Malaysia claimed at the western approach to Singapore have intruded into the Republic's port limits. Singapore has protested to Malaysia to reject its claim on Pedra Branca and stated categorically that these new boundary lines violated Singapore's sovereignty and were unacceptable.

But Malaysia went on to publish the Johor Bahru Port Limits that followed the boundary line it unilaterally drew in 1979, according to Mr Khaw. Some slight adjustments were made to these port limits in 1999 but for the next 20 years, he said the 1999 Johor Bahru Port Limits have remained intact - and stayed fully within what Malaysia has since 1979 claimed was its territorial boundary.

However, according to Mr Khaw, on Oct 25 this year, Malaysia - under a new government led by former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, "unilaterally and arbitrarily extended" the Johor Bahru Port Limits.

"Quite apart from the fact that Singapore has never accepted their 1979 territorial claims, the recent purported extension of the Johor Bahru Port Limits goes beyond what even Malaysia itself claimed as its territorial waters," he said.

Calling this "a blatant provocation and a serious violation of our sovereignty and international law", Mr Khaw warned: "If it becomes necessary, we will not hesitate to take firm actions against intrusions and unauthorised activities in our waters to protect our territory and sovereignty."

He said Singapore has so far responded with restraint against aggressive actions by the Malaysian government vessels, but it could not allow its sovereignty to be violated or new facts on the ground to be created.

Since Malaysia's latest move to extend its territorial waters at Singapore's expense, there have been 14 intrusions by Malaysian vessels into Singapore waters, according to Mr Khaw. Three Malaysian government vessels were still in Singapore waters as he spoke.

The Singapore minister wants the Malaysian government vessels to "cease their intrusions and return to the status quo before Oct 25, 2018".

"This violation of Singapore's sovereignty is a serious new issue in our bilateral relations with Malaysia," Mr Khaw said. But he remains "optimistic" that the problem could be ironed out. "We still seek good bilateral relations and hope we can work together to find an amicable solution to these issues," Mr Khaw said.

But he added Singaporeans have to be fully aware of these developments. "While we seek cooperation and friendship with other countries, we must never let other countries take advantage of us. When our national interests are challenged, we have to quietly but firmly stand our ground and stay united as one people," he said.