KL opposes piecemeal talks with
Singapore
Straits Times
February 20, 1999
MALAYSIA again vowed to
oppose piecemeal negotiations with Singapore related to the unresolved
issue of a railway station in the republic, Foreign Minister Syed Hamid
Albar said yesterday. "In this regard, I have sent a letter to my
Singapore counterpart saying that we are willing to proceed with the negotiations
on the package that has been agreed between our two leaders," he said.
The minister said he would not be pulled into a public debate on the issue but would approach it in good spirit.
"I would like to handle and manage it in that spirit. I think we should maintain the spirit of good relations between neighbours."
On talks to resolve outstanding bilateral issues with Singapore, including the dispute over the railway Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) checkpoint, he said there was no deadline or ultimatum linked to it.
"It's being discussed at an official level. We are confident it will be solved amicably," he said.
He also said he planned to visit Singapore and other Asean capitals as part of his familiarisation tour soon.
"It is a common practice for a new Foreign Minister to visit his other counterparts when he is appointed."
The CIQ controversy broke out last August when Singapore moved its CIQ facilities from the Tanjong Pagar railway station to its northern Woodlands checkpoint on Aug 1, while Malaysia's immigration continues to operate from the old location.
The rail service has been managed by Malaysia's KTM Bhd since it began in the 20s.
The dispute over the CIQ facilities took a new twist when Foreign Affairs Minister S. Jayakumar told parliament last month that Malaysia must recognise Singapore's sovereignty over the Tanjong Pagar issue before the two countries could proceed to resolve all outstanding bilateral issues as a package.
He said that Singapore had informed Malaysia that if it did not produce its legal arguments in one month, the republic would assume that it no longer wished to pursue its legal claim to remain at Tanjong Pagar.
Datuk Syed Hamid on Jan 21 said Kuala Lumpur's position on the dispute was in accordance with the agreement reached by Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his Singapore counterpart Goh Chok Tong in December.
He said the two leaders had agreed then that all bilateral issues, including water supply to the republic, would be settled as a package.
Malaysia had failed to submit its legal arguments by an earlier deadline of Dec 17. -AFP