A recent Malaysian Marine Department declaration foresees an alteration to the Port Limits for Johore Bahru Port, extending the limits of the port in its southernmost state and encroaching the territorial waters of Singapore. In response, MPA of Singapore said it does not recognise the Port Limits published and reminded operators that Singapore’s territorial waters extend westward of Singapore’s current port limits around Tuas and vessels operating in this area are to continue to comply with applicable Singapore regulations.
Namely, the Gazette Notification, by the Attorney General’s Chambers of Malaysia is to extend the port limits for Malaysia’s Johor Bahru Port in a way which encroaches into Singapore’s territorial waters and approaches to the Port of Singapore off Tuas.
Accordingly, MPA does not recognise the port limits published in the Gazette Notification. Therefore, ship masters and owners of vessels should ignore the Gazette Notification which effects negatively Singapore’s sovereignty.
Navigationally owners and operators should be aware that the current positions adopted by both Counties, along with earlier declarations of Territorial Waters in the same area, mean that in the area referred to as Western Approaches Singapore, and/or Outside Port Limits Singapore, Johore Bahru and Tanjong Pelepas (including the Oil Terminal at Tanjong Bin), there are now no waters that might be considered ‘International’, and thereby not under the jurisdiction of either State or local Port Master,
…the Swedish Club advised citing information by Spica Services.