Steer clear of area, S'pore tells Malaysian ships after collision - Free Malaysia Today
Malaysian vessel Polaris collided with a Greece-registered bulk carrier on Saturday. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA: Singapore today insisted that Malaysia withdraws its vessels from its territorial waters off Tuas and in an area that goes beyond Malaysia's territorial claim of 1979, following yesterday's collision between the Malaysian government ship Polaris and MV Piraeus.
Its foreign affairs ministry said the persistent presence of Malaysian vessels clearly poses a threat to the safety of navigation in the area, which it does not recognise as Malaysian territorial waters.
"As we have said previously, Malaysia will be responsible for any untoward situations on the ground that arise from continued deployment of its vessels into this area," a spokesman for the ministry said, adding that the Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore is investigating the incident.
The Malaysian Marine Department had said the incident involving the Polaris and the Greece-registered bulk carrier happened in Malaysian territorial waters.
The department's director-general, Baharin Abdul Hamid, said the Polaris was tasked with ensuring the safety of all vessels plying the waters off the Johor Bahru Port.
"The incident took place within the territorial waters of Johor Bahru Port. The question of encroaching into Singapore waters does not arise," Bernama quoted him as saying.
Following the collision yesterday afternoon, the Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore said it was concerned over the "presence of unauthorised vessels in Singapore Port limits", adding that it was also a threat to "navigational safety in our waters".
The latest incident comes a month after the Singapore government protested against a visit by Johor Menteri Besar Osman Sapian to a Malaysian government vessel, which it said had been "anchored illegally" in the waters off Tuas.
The republic later called off a Joint Ministerial Committee for Iskandar Malaysia meeting, saying Osman's action was "provocative".
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