SINGAPORE TASERS MALAYSIA, ABRUPTLY CALLS OFF MONDAY BILATERAL MEETING – AFTER JOHOR MB IN CLUMSY MOVE ‘ENTERED ITS WATERS’

JOHOR BAHRU, 16 Mei -- Menteri Besar Johor ke-16 Datuk Osman Sapian bersama 10 ahli Exco kerajaan negeri Johor yang baharu dalam sebuah sidang media di Pusat Konvensyen Antarabangsa Persada, hari ini. --fotoBERNAMA(2018) HAK CIPTA TERPELIHARA

KUALA LUMPUR – The Singapore government today announced a postponement to bilateral talks with Malaysia scheduled for January 14, attributing it to an “intrusion” by the Johor mentri besar into its waters.

According to the Singapore Foreign Affairs Ministry, Malaysia has also agreed to defer the 14th meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee for Iskandar Malaysia (JMCIM).

“The intrusion by Johor Mentri Besar Dato’ Osman Sapian into Singapore Territorial Waters off Tuas on 9 January 2019 made the 14th JMCIM meeting untenable. Singapore therefore proposed to postpone the JMCIM meeting, and Malaysia agreed,” the republic’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

Malay Mail is reaching out to Malaysian government officials for confirmation.

The Johor MB has denied encroaching into Singapore territorial waters during a visit near a maritime area disputed by both countries earlier this week.

Osman clarified that his visit aboard the MV Pedoman with other state officials were to see how Malaysian security forces carried out their duties, adding that he believed the area he visited was not within Singapore’s borders.

– Malay Mail