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SINGAPORE: The freedom of passage in international waterways is a right and not a privilege, Singapore told the United Nations on Monday (Apr 27), as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz dragged on.
Speaking at a high-level UN debate on the safety and protection of waterways, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim said Singapore, as a small island nation, takes the position that any transit in straits used for international navigation “is a right under international law and not a discretionary privilege that can be paid for or negotiated”.
“Any erosion of international law in one region of the world inevitably sets a dangerous precedent for all others,” he said.
The Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries about a fifth of global oil shipments, has been largely closed since the eruption of the war in Iran, which began with US-Israeli strikes on the country on Feb 28.
Although a ceasefire has paused full-scale fighting, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had no intention of reopening Hormuz, while Washington has imposed a US Navy blockade of Iran’s ports.
Last week, Indonesian Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa floated the idea of imposing tolls on ships using the Malacca Strait, before clarifying that his country had no intention of doing so.
Mr Zhulkarnain said on Monday that the Straits of Malacca and Singapore carry about 23.2 million barrels of oil per day, exceeding the 20.9 million barrels per day that used to flow through the Strait of Hormuz, and that its narrowest point stretches only two nautical miles in width.
“Singapore takes a clear and categorical position ... The stakes are not theoretical ... If the right of transit passage is not upheld, international navigation in the straits could be completely disrupted,” he said.
For Singapore and the world, the transit passage regime under United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) "is not an abstract question of legal doctrine, but one with real implications for global economic security and international stability", said Mr Zhulkarnain, who is also Minister of State for Social and Family Development.
On Apr 17, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong warned that allowing any party to illegally weaponise an international waterway sets a "dangerous precedent".
Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam said on Apr 13 the country is “very wary” when other countries treat navigational rights and freedoms as discretionary privileges to be negotiated or paid for.
Singapore has also joined fellow island nations Fiji, Jamaica and Malta in calling for the restoration of unimpeded transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
Mr Zhulkarnain on Monday highlighted existing cooperative efforts between Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia reflect the neighbours’ commitment to abide by international law, including UNCLOS, and to work together in consensus on the effective management of the straits.
“It is clear that we all stand to benefit from the safety and protection of critical waterways,” he said.
“Singapore will continue to contribute to the efforts of the international community to uphold a free and open Strait of Hormuz, support the shipping industry, and ensure the safety of all seafarers.
“Ultimately, we hope for a diplomatic solution to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East which will bring lasting peace and stability to our global commons.”
