SINGAPORE: Malaysia and Singapore today agreed for both sides to immediately and simultaneously suspend Malaysia’s permanent restricted area over Pasir Gudang and Singapore’s implementation of the Instrument Landing System (ILS) procedure for Seletar Airport.
Both the suspensions are for a period of one month in the first instance, according to a joint statement issued after the bilateral meeting between Malaysian Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah and his Singapore counterpart Dr Vivian Balakrishnan here Tuesday.
The statement said they agreed that, in the meantime, the transport ministers of the two countries should meet soon for discussions on the restricted area and the ILS procedure to ensure the safety and efficiency of civil aviation.
On maritime issues surrounding the Johor Baru and Singapore port limits, the two ministers agreed to establish a working group headed by the permanent secretary of the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the secretary-general of the Malaysian Foreign Ministry.
The working group will study and discuss the legal and operational matters in order to de-escalate the situation on the ground, and provide a basis for further discussions and negotiations, said the statement. The working group is to report to the foreign ministers within two months, it said.
The implementation of the ILS at Seletar Airport in Singapore had aircraft landing at the airport using Malaysian airspace over Pasir Gudang, Johor, which Malaysia objected to.
Singapore and Malaysia had also blamed each other for what either side insisted was the extension of port limits that were seen as a violation of sovereignty and international law. — Bernama
