Malaysia-Singapore committee on maritime dispute holds talks

The Malaysia-Singapore working group on the ongoing maritime dispute held its inaugural meeting today in Putrajaya.

In a joint statement by the Malaysian and Singaporean foreign ministries, the two delegations were said to have held "constructive discussions".

Both parties will not submit recommendations to their respective governments for consideration. No deadline was mentioned.

The working group's mandate was to discuss legal and operational matters in order to de-escalate tensions and provide a basis for further discussions.

The delegations were led by Malaysia's Foreign Affairs Ministry secretary-general Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakob and Singaporean Foreign Affairs Ministry permanent secretary Chee Wee Kiong, respectively.

This meeting was a follow up to a meeting by the foreign ministers of both countries on Jan 8.

Singapore had disputed Malaysia's decision to expand the Johor Bahru port limits and claim the expanded territory for its own.

To better understand the issue, visit Malaysiakini's illustrated explanation of the dispute here.  -Mkini