Johor Chief Minister’s 'unauthorised visit' to Pedoman vessel was 'provocative act’:
SINGAPORE: Johor Chief Minister Osman Sapian’s "unauthorised visit" last week to Malaysian vessel Pedoman in Singapore waters was "a provocative act" that went against the spirit of an agreement by both countries to resolve bilateral issues in a calm and constructive manner, Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on Sunday (Jan 13).
The MFA also said that it had sent a diplomatic note to Malaysia on Friday to protest the “unauthorised visit” by Johor Chief Minister Osman Sapian to the Pedoman on Jan 9.
Advertisement“Such a provocative act went against the spirit of the agreement reached a day earlier by Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan and his Malaysian counterpart, Dato’ Saifuddin Abdullah, to resolve bilateral issues in a calm and constructive manner,” said MFA.
It reiterated that the intrusion by the Johor Chief Minister created an atmosphere unconducive to hold the 14th meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee for Iskandar Malaysia (JMCIM), leading to Singapore’s decision to postpone the meeting.
The meeting was originally scheduled for Jan 14.
[h=3]READ: Malaysia, Singapore ministers to meet on ‘other bilateral issues’ after ministerial committee talks postponement, says Malaysia’s foreign ministry[/h] AdvertisementAdvertisementHowever, the ministry said that Malaysian Minister of Economic Affairs Mohamed Azmin Ali’s initiative to make a bilateral visit and his upcoming meetings with Singapore ministers on Sunday and Monday are still welcome.
Malaysian government vessels have been found making repeated incursions into Singapore territorial waters in recent months, following Malaysia’s extension of Johor Bahru’s port limits in October.
Singapore has protested the port limit extension and the vessels’ movements. The transport ministry has also extended Singapore’s port limits off Tuas in response.
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SINGAPORE: Johor Chief Minister Osman Sapian’s "unauthorised visit" last week to Malaysian vessel Pedoman in Singapore waters was "a provocative act" that went against the spirit of an agreement by both countries to resolve bilateral issues in a calm and constructive manner, Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on Sunday (Jan 13).
The MFA also said that it had sent a diplomatic note to Malaysia on Friday to protest the “unauthorised visit” by Johor Chief Minister Osman Sapian to the Pedoman on Jan 9.
Advertisement“Such a provocative act went against the spirit of the agreement reached a day earlier by Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan and his Malaysian counterpart, Dato’ Saifuddin Abdullah, to resolve bilateral issues in a calm and constructive manner,” said MFA.
It reiterated that the intrusion by the Johor Chief Minister created an atmosphere unconducive to hold the 14th meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee for Iskandar Malaysia (JMCIM), leading to Singapore’s decision to postpone the meeting.
The meeting was originally scheduled for Jan 14.
[h=3]READ: Malaysia, Singapore ministers to meet on ‘other bilateral issues’ after ministerial committee talks postponement, says Malaysia’s foreign ministry[/h] AdvertisementAdvertisementHowever, the ministry said that Malaysian Minister of Economic Affairs Mohamed Azmin Ali’s initiative to make a bilateral visit and his upcoming meetings with Singapore ministers on Sunday and Monday are still welcome.
Malaysian government vessels have been found making repeated incursions into Singapore territorial waters in recent months, following Malaysia’s extension of Johor Bahru’s port limits in October.
Singapore has protested the port limit extension and the vessels’ movements. The transport ministry has also extended Singapore’s port limits off Tuas in response.
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