Singapore seeks to extend truce with Malaysia over air and sea borders

Lion City proposes extending temporary concessions made by both sides in row over radar system and maritime boundaries

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Singapore’s transport minister, Khaw Boon Wan. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 4:34pm, 24 Jan 2019Updated: 4:52pm, 24 Jan 2019

Singapore is pushing hard to keep its dispute with Malaysia “on an even keel”, political analysts say, after the city state proposed both sides extend temporary concessions in their row over air space and maritime boundaries.

Singapore’s offer – made after a scheduled meeting on Wednesday between the two countries’ transport ministers – was for both sides to extend the concessions on the air space row.

Announcing the proposal on Facebook, Singapore’s Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said his Malaysian counterpart Anthony Loke would “take my suggestion back to his cabinet colleagues”.

The dispute regards Malaysia’s objections to a Singaporean plan to broadcast a new radar system over the state of Johor which borders the Lion City. Malaysia says this will inconvenience residents and restrict industrial development in Johor.

As a temporary measure, the two countries’ foreign ministers had agreed to stay their hand in the dispute. Malaysia, which reacted to the Singapore plan by declaring the affected area a restricted military training zone, lifted that restriction for a month, while the city state has suspended the implementation of the radar system for the same time period.