In case you were too engrossed in petty gossip news and cat videos, there has been something brewing between Singapore and Malaysia.

First, Malaysia unilaterally extended Johor's port limits from Oct. 25 that encroached into Singapore's territorial waters.

Malaysian vessels have then repeatedly intruded into Singapore's waters over the past two weeks.

Second, Malaysia's Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced on Dec. 4 that Malaysia wanted to take back "full control" of the airspace over Southern Johor. He said this was a matter of national sovereignty.

Singapore currently manages that airspace.

This has been part of an arrangement that was agreed upon between Singapore and Malaysia since 1974.

Unhappy over ILS

The airspace issue arose when Singapore issued new Instrument Landing System (ILS) procedures for Seletar Airport on Dec. 1, which will come into force on Jan. 3.

Loke said that Malaysia did not agree with the move as it would allegedly stunt development around the Pasir Gudang industrial district, by imposing height restrictions on buildings and affecting port activities.

Singapore's Ministry of Transport (MOT) has said that the new ILS procedures were designed in line with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards, which have been acknowledged by Malaysia's own aviation authority since 1974.

MOT stated that the publication of these new ILS procedures were in accordance with ICAO requirements, as well as existing bilateral arrangements with Malaysia.

It added that the ILS "take into account existing structures at Pasir Gudang".

"The procedures therefore do not impose any additional impact on other airspace users as well as businesses and residents in Johor", MOT also said.

Singapore reached out to Malaysia multiple times

MOT further revealed that the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) met the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) in Kuala Lumpur on Dec. 5, 2017 to discuss implementation of the ILS procedures for Seletar Airport.

The meeting minutes, supplied by MOT, stated that the ILS was to be implemented on Aug. 16, 2018:

No response 1

CAAS followed up the meeting with an email asking CAAM for their assessment on the matter on Dec. 6, 2017:

Another email was sent on June 6, 2018 on the matter.

MOT said that CAAS "received no reply".

No response 2

MOT then said that CAAS met CAAM again in Aug. 7, 2018 over the matter.

An email was sent by CAAS to CAAM on Aug. 15, 2018 to ask CAAM for their response by Aug. 27, 2018.

Again there was no response.

No new concerns

CAAS then met CAAM in November 2018 over the matter.

According to MOT:

"CAAS continued to engage CAAM via emails, letters and at the sidelines of an International Civil Aviation Organization event. On Nov. 29 2018, CAAS met CAAM in Singapore. CAAM raised their technical concerns with the Seletar ILS procedures. CAAS addressed CAAM’s concerns, and conveyed its intentions to publish the procedures on Dec. 1 2018. On Nov. 30 2018, CAAS met CAAM in KL, Malaysia, to discuss the records of the Nov. 29 2018 meeting. CAAM did not raise new concerns."

Then on Dec. 4, Loke told Malaysian Parliament about the desire to take back control of airspace in southern Johor.

Singapore the bogeyman?

Here's a possible explanation for the sudden friction between Singapore and Malaysia:

It is not an accident that so many old bilateral issues — water, bridge, FIR and maritime boundaries — have resurfaced after the change of government. The new governing coalition is intrinsically unstable and held together by a 93 year old man. Political uncertainty in Malaysia inevitably leads to Singapore being used as a bogeyman to hold things together. So wish the good doctor good health and long-life: it may well be worse without him.

Top image by Schristia