Singapore, Malaysia And Indonesia Strategically Aligned To Keep Malacca Straits Open – Balakrishnan

By Anas Hassan

SINGAPORE, April 22 (Bernama) -- Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia have a mutual interest and are strategically aligned in keeping the Malacca Straits open amid ongoing global geopolitical uncertainties, said Singapore Foreign Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan.

He stressed that, as littoral states, all three nations share a cooperative mechanism not to collect tolls on the straits, but to keep them open.

He said that this position will be maintained.

"We do not have tolls. All of us are trade dependent economies and all of us know it is in our interest to keep it open.

"The point here is that all three countries have a strategic interest and are strategically aligned in keeping it open. That is not something which you can take for granted in many other places," he said during an interview on CNBC's Converge Live event on Wednesday.

His remarks came in response to growing uncertainties, as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz could heighten the risks to passage in other critical maritime chokepoints. 

According to Balakrishnan, Singapore has always emphasised and reiterated its stance on upholding the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in overseeing the Straits of Malacca.

"With respect to both America and China, we have told both of them that we operate on the basis of UNCLOS.

"The right of transit passage is guaranteed for everyone. We will not participate in any attempts to close, interdict, or impose tolls in our neighbourhood," he added.

Meanwhile, when asked if Singapore will choose sides between the United States (US) and China, Balakrishnan pointed out that the republic's long-standing position is not to take take sides between the East and the West.

"The way we conduct our affairs is that we assess what is in Singapore’s long-term national interest.

"And if I have to say no to Washington or Beijing or anyone else, we do not flinch from that, but they will also know that when we say no, it is not at the behest of the other party; we are acting in our own long-term national interest," said Balakrishnan.

-- BERNAMA