Singapore will postpone an annual meeting with Malaysia as a result of Johor Menteri Besar Osman Sapian’s alleged “intrusion” into the maritime area of dispute between the two countries on Wednesday (9 Jan), said Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).
Responding to media queries regarding the deferment of the meeting, a MFA spokesperson said that “the intrusion by Johor Menteri Besar Dato’ Osman Sapian into Singapore Territorial Waters off Tuas on 9 January 2019” made the meeting “untenable”.
“Singapore therefore proposed to postpone the JMCIM meeting, and Malaysia agreed,” added the spokesperson.
The meeting in question will be the 14th meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee for Iskandar Malaysia (JMCIM), which was initially scheduled to take place on 14 Jan this year.
The committee was convened in 2007 “to study how both neighbours can work together in the South Johor economic zone of Iskandar”.