Singapore calls on Malaysia to withdraw vessels after collision involving Polaris, government ship in maritime border dispute
- Collision between Polaris and the Greece-registered bulk carrier Piraeus happened on Saturday
- Singapore and Malaysia have been embroiled in a dispute over airspace and sea boundaries that flared up late last year
Singapore called on Malaysia to withdraw its vessels after a Malaysian government ship was involved in a collision with a Greek bulk carrier in the city state’s “territorial waters” .
The collision between the Greece-registered Piraeus and Polaris, a Malaysian Marine Department vessel which had been parked in waters that Singapore claims to be part of its port limit, happened on Saturday.
“Singapore reiterates its call for Malaysia to withdraw its vessels from the area, as the persistent presence of its vessels clearly poses a threat to safety of navigation in the area,” a statement from Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Sunday.
“As we have said previously, Malaysia will be responsible for any untoward situations on the ground that arise from continued deployment of its vessels into this area.”
An earlier statement from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said the collision occurred “in territorial waters within Singapore port limits off Tuas”.
Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said late Saturday that the Greek vessel and its crew had been detained.
Piraeus was on its way from Singapore to its next port of call at Malaysia’s Tanjung Pelepas port in Johor when the collision took place.
Diplomatic rift with Malaysia unlikely to be over soon: Singapore foreign minister
“MPA is deeply concerned that the presence of the unauthorised vessels in our port limits can cause confusion for the international shipping community and threaten navigational safety in our waters,” the statement from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said.
Tension between the two nations escalated after the government of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who returned to power in Malaysia last year, said it wants to retake airspace in Johor in stages from the end of 2019.
Singapore’s transport ministry responded by saying the countries had an agreement dating back to 1974 that gave the city state the right to provide air traffic services in the airspace above southern Johor.
Singapore also lodged a protest over Malaysia’s decision to extend the limits of a port in Johor, which borders the city state.
On January 8, both countries reiterated efforts to improve bilateral ties. Days later, they postponed a ministerial meeting scheduled for Jan. 14, after what Singapore called an “intrusion” into its waters by Osman Sapian, chief minister of Johor.
Osman said in a Facebook post that the area he visited isn’t in Singapore waters.
Bloomberg, Kyodo
