MPA Singapore informed of a Port Limits – Suspension Notification, that came into operation on 8 April 2019. The circular suspends Singapore’s and Malaysia’s implementation of overlapping limits, bringing back the port limits in place prior to 25 October 2018 and 6 December 2018 respectively.
This circular suspends the effect of Port Marine Circular No. 09 of 2018 pending an agreement between the Government of the Republic of Singapore and the Government of Malaysia on the maritime boundary delimitation in the area surrounding the Johore Bahru port limits off Tanjung Piai and Singapore port limits off Tuas which is yet to be agreed upon by the Government of Malaysia and the Government of the Republic of Singapore,
…MPA Singapore said.
The two countries had agreed to ‘Delimit Precisely the Territorial Waters Boundary in Accordance with the Straits Settlements and Johore Territorial Waters’, in Singapore on 7 August 1995.
In response to media queries, an MPA Spokesperson explained:
This suspension is pursuant to one of the five recommendations in the report of the Working Group on maritime issues surrounding the overlapping Johor Bahru Port Limits off Tanjung Piai and Singapore Port Limits off Tuas, which were agreed upon by the Foreign Ministers of Singapore and Malaysia on 14 March 2019, to de-escalate the situation on the ground and pave the way for maritime boundary delimitation.
During this suspension, the port limits are as depicted:
