CONTROL and the freedom to develop one’s perceived territory is at stake today as the foreign affairs ministers of Malaysia and Singapore meet to talk about two disputes that have inflamed relations between the neighbours.

After weeks of trading barbs and thinly veiled threats of military action, Malaysian Foreign Affairs Minister Saifuddin Abdullah is due to meet his Singaporean counterpart, Vivian Balakrishnan, in the republic to kick-start talks to resolve disputes over maritime and airspace borders.

The aviation tussle started on December 1 when Singapore issued the new instrument-landing system (ILS) procedures for Seletar airport, which was supposed to start on January 3.

Malaysia objected to the procedure, saying that it would jeopardise development in Pasir Gudang, which is about 3km across the strait from the airport, as it would restrict the construction of tall buildings. This was denied by Singapore’s Transport Ministry.

Observers have said the ILS system was installed as part of Singapore’s plans to upgrade the underutilised Seletar airport to handle more flights, thus freeing up landing spots and ramping up capacity at its main Changi International Airport.

The second dispute on the western side of the straits has seen the coast guard and navies of both countries deploying patrol boats to stake what each claims is its maritime territories – a sliver of sea off the coast of Tg Pelepas in Malaysia to the north and the Tuas port in Singapore to the south.

Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the dispute was over the island republic’s enlargement of its Tuas port through land reclamation starting in 2002.

That year, Malaysia protested against Singapore’s land reclamation as it had encroached into Malaysian waters. The Johor Port Authority said Singapore’s expansion of the Tuas port affected its Tg Pelepas and Pasir Gudang ports.

A truce was reached in 2005 through the signing of an agreement between both sides.

Lack of diplomatic experience

Critics of the Pakatan Harapan administration said these disputes reflect the government’s inexperience in international relations, but other experts said the Singapore-Malaysia skirmishes are inevitable.

This is because the two countries’ shared history and origin have always exposed them to disputes, said political analyst Dr Oh Ei Sun.

The sabre-rattling that usually follows these periodic outbursts is also not unusual and they usually end at the negotiating table, said Oh, who is senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs.

“But it is precisely this sort of unique historical ties which see the two neighbours always try to settle these differences by means of negotiations or even international adjudication after initial spates of vocal exchanges. The latest series of disputes is no exception,” he told The Malaysian Insight. – January 8, 2019.