SINGAPORE — Two Malaysian government vessels are believed to be anchored in Singapore’s territorial waters, Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said in Parliament on Monday (April 1).

He was responding to Jurong Group Representation Constituency Member of Parliament Ang Wei Neng, who asked when was the last occasion that foreign vessels had anchored in Singapore’s territorial waters off Tuas.

Singapore and Malaysia announced on March 14 that they have agreed not to anchor government vessels in the area by April 14, one of five measures recommended by a bilateral working group set up by both countries to look into their maritime dispute.

“We hope that the recommendations will be implemented as soon as possible within the agreed time frame. This will allow the ground situation to be de-escalated and then both sides can embark on maritime boundary limitation negotiations,” Dr Balakrishnan said.

He added that Singapore and Malaysia are committed to negotiating in good faith, and may mutually agree to refer their dispute to “an appropriate international third-party dispute settlement on terms to be mutually agreed by the parties” if both governments are unable to arrive at an amicable solution on delimitation.

“Overall, this agreement is a positive and concrete step forward for both countries, and is reflective of Singapore's commitment to resolve our issues with Malaysia in a calm and rational and amicable manner, in accordance with international law, and to nurture this very important bilateral relationship whilst safeguarding our national interests,” Dr Balakrishnan said.