MALAYSIA will measure territorial waters in Johor to check for encroachment into Singaporean waters, said Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“We will have to measure and see if we have encroached (in Singaporean waters) or we are in our own waters,” he said after attending the Pos Malaysia Workers Association conference at Blue Wave Hotel in Shah Alam today. 

Singapore has lodged a protest with Malaysia over the latter’s purported move to extend port limits which are in violation of sovereignty and international laws, saying it will not hesitate to “take firm action against intrusions and unauthorised activities”

Vessels from Malaysia, including those belonging to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and Marine Department, reportedly intruded repeatedly on Singaporean waters off Tuas over the last two weeks.

Singapore’s Transport Ministry disclosed this yesterday in a statement expressing “grave concerns” over Malaysia’s move to extend the Johor port limits.

Singapore’s Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said Malaysia had unilaterally publicised a government gazette in October and last month informing the shipping community of the “new boundaries”.

Khaw said the extension of Johor’s port limits would be a “violation of our sovereignty and also international law”.

He said Singapore has issued a note of protest to its neighbour, asking that Malaysia immediately amend its gazette to take into account the city-state’s “sovereignty concerns”.

Singapore was responding to Transport Minister Anthony Lok e’s statement that Putrajaya would immediately issue a protest note over Singapore’s plan to use the southern Johor Baru airspace for flight operations at Seletar Airport.– December 5, 2018.