MOT calls on Malaysian counterparts to release ‘all correspondence’ on Seletar Airport issue

SINGAPORE — Singapore’s Ministry of Transport (MOT) said that it has “no objection” if its Malaysian counterparts want to make public the correspondence the two sides have had on the Seletar Airport issue. However, they should release “all correspondence and records of discussions” between both parties, including the latest meeting held on Nov 29 and 30, “for transparency”.

The MOT said this in a statement on Monday (Dec 10), after the Malaysian transport ministry called on Singapore to make public the letters from the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) to its Singaporean counterparts on Oct 9, Nov 15, 21 and 28.

“Failing to do so, we are prepared to release the letters for full disclosure of such information for the public’s comprehension of our stand on the same,” Malaysia’s Ministry of Transport said earlier on Monday in a statement.

It added that the MOT’s disclosure of documents relating to the proposed Instrument Landing System (ILS) procedures for Seletar Airport were “only partial and selective with the primary aim of influencing public opinion”.

In response, the MOT said: “We would like to explain that Singapore had released correspondence on Dec 4 to address media queries as to whether the (Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore) had consulted CAAM in December 2017.

“The queries arose from Malaysia’s inaccurate claim earlier in the day that this matter had only come to their attention two months ago.”

The ministry added that it is Singapore’s view that it would be useful for negotiations to be kept confidential “to facilitate frank and constructive exchanges”.

“This is why we have not released any other correspondence between Singapore and Malaysia on this matter,” the MOT added, noting that Malaysian transport minister Anthony Loke had expressed a similar view on Dec 4.

Monday’s back-and-forth came as both countries remain embroiled in territorial disputes over airspace and port boundaries.

Malaysia is claiming that Singapore had on Dec 1 issued — without Malaysia’s consent — new ILS procedures for Seletar Airport.

The ILS — contained in Singapore’s Aeronautical Information Publication — provides precision lateral and vertical guidance to an aircraft approaching and landing on a runway.

The Malaysian authorities are also claiming that the ILS — which requires planes to fly over Southern Johor — will hamper development in the Johor town of Pasir Gudang.

In response, Singapore pointed out that the procedures were aligned with standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation and in line with existing flight profiles into Seletar Airport, which have been used for decades.

The MOT then released documents which showed that the CAAS sent emails to its Malaysian counterpart in December last year and June this year, asking for its operational feedback on the ILS procedures for Seletar Airport, but received no reply.

Both sides met recently on Nov 29 in Singapore, and the Malaysian authority raised technical concerns, which the ministry said CAAS addressed. The CAAS also conveyed its intentions then to publish the procedures on Dec 1.

Another meeting took place in Kuala Lumpur the next day and no new concerns were raised, the ministry said.