The issue of maritime delimitation relates to overlapping port claims, which both countries agreed in 2019 to suspend and to revert to former limits.
The suspension followed a dispute sparked by Malaysia’s unilateral extension of the Johor Bahru Port Limits off Tanjung Piai, which overlapped with Singapore’s port limits off Tuas.
Singapore protested Malaysia’s extension in October 2018, saying it resulted in Malaysian government vessels making repeated incursions into Singapore waters, with the Republic later extending its own port limits in response, which were still in its territorial waters.
Both sides agreed in 2019 not to authorise and to suspend all commercial activities in the area, and not to anchor any government vessels there.
A committee was set up to study the legal and operational issues relating to the maritime dispute to provide a basis for negotiations.
On airspace, Malaysia has said it is ready to manage its airspace over southern Johor after delegating the task to Singapore 45 years ago.
In 2018, Malaysia objected to new flight procedures proposed for Singapore’s Seletar Airport and its transport minister Anthony Loke said Malaysia has informed Singapore it wants to take back the airspace in phases.
Singapore’s Ministry of Transport (MOT) responded, saying the Republic respects Malaysia’s sovereignty and that cross-border airspace management “is not incompatible with sovereignty”.
At the 10th Singapore-Malaysia Leaders’ Retreat held in Singapore in October 2023, Mr Anwar and then-Singapore prime minister Lee agreed to review the delegation arrangements for the provision of air traffic services over southern Peninsular Malaysia, which were recommended and approved by the International Civil Aviation Organization in 1973.
On Tuesday, Mr Anwar said his discussions with Mr Wong recognised the needs of Malaysia in terms of its connectivity with Sabah and Sarawak. At the same time, they recognised the requirements of Singapore to ensure that the performance and activities at Changi Airport are unaffected and facilitated.
Meanwhile, water has been a constant source of political wrangling between Singapore and Malaysia over the years, especially when Malaysia’s longest-serving prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad was in office.
Most recently, however, a Malaysian deputy minister said the country, as well as its southern Johor state, would not be renegotiating raw water rates with Singapore yet.
“Following discussions in October 2024 with the Johor chief minister (Onn Hafiz Ghazi) and the ministry, it was decided that the review of raw water rates does not need to be negotiated at this time,” Malaysia’s Deputy Energy Transition and Water Transformation Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir told parliament on Dec 2.
The 1962 Johor River Water Agreement entitles Singapore to draw up to 250 million gallons a day (mgd) of water from the Johor River.
Singapore pays 3 Malaysian sen per thousand gallons of raw water and sells treated water back to Johor at 50 sen per thousand gallons, a fraction of the cost of treating the water.
While Johor is entitled to a daily supply of up to 5mgd a day of treated water, which accounts for 2 per cent of the water supplied to Singapore, Singapore has been supplying 16mgd of treated water to Johor at its request.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/malaysia-singapore-leaders-retreat-flight-fir-maritime-outstanding-bilateral-issues-4841831
