Malaysia and Singapore freeze port limit claims in bid to resolve maritime tensions, but water woes remain
- The neighbours’ foreign ministers have agreed to measures including preventing government vessels from anchoring in a disputed area
- Bilateral relations are at a low point following disagreements over airspace boundaries and the price Singapore pays for fresh water from Malaysia
Analysts welcomed the move but said any firm resolution was years away.
The two countries’ foreign ministers said talks were ongoing over two other major sticking points that had caused open bickering in recent months – the price Singapore pays Malaysia for fresh water, and the city state’s management of a small section of Malaysian airspace.
Singapore’s Vivian Balakrishnan and his Malaysian counterpart Saifuddin Abdullah said both nations had agreed to suspend the implementation of their overlapping port limits for now.
In a joint statement following a meeting in Putrajaya, Malaysia, the ministers also said port limits in effect before October 25 and December 6 – when Malaysia and Singapore respectively tried to extend their maritime boundaries – would apply.
On top of this, no government vessels will anchor in the area, commercial activities will be suspended and no new ones authorised, and Malaysian and Singaporean vessels will operate in the area in accordance with international law including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.