Amicable moves mark neighbors' ties

Singapore and Malaysia's move to suspend overlapping port claims is the first crucial step toward a peaceful resolution of their maritime dispute and other diplomatic sticking points between the two countries, analysts said.

"Although relations between the two countries can be fractious, they are joined at the hip," said Shahriman Lockman, senior analyst at the Kuala Lumpur-based think tank Institute of Strategic and International Studies, alluding to the shared history between the two neighboring countries.

After Singapore's Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan met his Malaysian counterpart Saifuddin Abdullah, the two countries were suspending their extended claims of maritime boundaries made late last year.

Observers noted the two countries have a long history of settling disputes amicably - either through bilateral negotiations or arbitration by a third party.

The meeting of the two ministers in Putrajaya, Malaysia, was meant to ease the rising tension over maritime boundaries that started last October.

Malaysia announced on Oct 25 that it had extended the port limits of Johor Bahru - its Johor state capital. The extension is beyond the territorial claims made in its 1979 map. Malaysia also anchored government vessels in the area.

Singapore issued a statement on Nov 5 to formally protest against the unilateral extension. On Dec 6, the city-state also expanded its port limits to the extent of its territorial waters.

Amid months of bickering, there were calls from both sides to resolve the issue peacefully. On Jan 8, Singapore and Malaysia agreed to establish a working group to resolve the maritime dispute.

In a joint statement issued on March 14, the two said that port limits in effect before Oct 25 and Dec 6 would apply, invalidating their recent claims.

Both parties also stated that no government vessels will anchor in the affected maritime area, commercial activities will be suspended and that both Malaysian and Singaporean vessels will operate in the area in accordance with international law. They agreed to continue negotiations on the matter.

Apart from simmering tension over territorial waters, the two countries have locked horns on the stewardship of a portion of airspace in the southern Malaysian state of Johor that borders Singapore and the review of the price of fresh water that Singapore pays to Malaysia.

Oh Ei Sun, senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs think tank, said the March 14 negotiation is an example of how Singapore and Malaysia settle disputes peacefully.

"First they air their grievances publicly. Then diplomats from both sides will sit down and try to resolve this issue through bilateral negotiations - which is what's happening now," Oh said.

Mustafa Izzuddin, fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies-Yusof Ishak Institute research facility in Singapore, said: "The diplomatic endgame is a resolution to the maritime dispute between Malaysia and Singapore."

"But for the third-party arbitration to mean anything or be effective, both Malaysia and Singapore must agree to accept the verdict by an international body even if the adjudication is not in their favor."

Oh of SIIA said the rule of law is "extremely important" for Singapore and Malaysia and he is thus confident that both countries will defer to the ruling of a third-party arbitrator.