Written Reply by Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan to Parliamentary Question Impact to Singapore from Development of Ship-To-Ship Transfer Hub at Johor’s Tanjung Pelepas Port

Mr Ang Hin Kee asked the Minister for Transport whether the development of Malaysia's ship-to-ship transfer hub at Johor's Tanjung Pelepas Port has

i.     encroached on the sovereignty of Singapore waters and

ii.     made a significant impact on the economics of Singapore port operations.

Reply by Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan:

1.     Singapore has asked for and is awaiting information from Malaysia on its plans to develop a ship-to-ship transfer hub in the Straits of Johor, including on its precise location. The project must not encroach into Singapore’s Territorial Waters.

2.     The project appears to be about the storage and trading of petroleum products including fuel oil; it does not seem to be about container port operations. But, we will need to assess the project’s implications on safety of navigation in the area and its potential trans-boundary environmental impact. We can only have a better assessment after Malaysia has provided the relevant information.