‘Malaysia won’t be lectured’: Singapore’s refusal to negotiate over Hormuz creates waves

Lead

Singapore has declined to negotiate with Iran over access to the Strait of Hormuz, insisting that transit through the strategic waterway is a legal right, not a privilege to be granted by the bordering state. The position, set out by Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, has drawn sharp criticism from Malaysian political leaders, who saw it as a lecture on their own diplomatic approach — and whose vessels have benefited from Tehran’s selective grants of passage.

Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, Balakrishnan said Singapore would not engage Iran or consider paying a toll for its vessels. “There is a right of transit passage,” he said, as reported by the South China Morning Post. “It is not a privilege to be granted by the bordering state, it’s not a licence to be supplicated for, it is not a toll to be paid.” The right, he noted, is codified in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), to which Singapore is a signatory.

The exchange came as the Strait of Hormuz has become a flashpoint in the conflict between the US, Israel and Iran, with traffic severely restricted since late February. Malaysia was among a handful of nations granted toll-free passage by Iran last week — a decision that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim attributed to active diplomacy and close ties with the Islamic Republic.

Coverage comparison

Reporting from the South China Morning Post captured the dispute from several angles: Singapore’s legal argument, Malaysia’s political reaction, and the broader geopolitical implications for regional waterways.

In one account, Singapore’s stance was presented as a matter of principle, with Balakrishnan stressing that the same right of transit applies to the Strait of Malacca and the Strait of Singapore. He added that the principle applied even to states that had not ratified Unclos, saying it was not a “get-out-of-jail-free card” for them.

Another piece focused on the Malaysian backlash. Leaders in Anwar’s ruling coalition took exception to Singapore’s reasoning, saying it risked eroding the commitment to “independent, balanced diplomacy” that has long been an Asean cornerstone. “Malaysia will not be lectured on the merits of engagement,” Nurul Izzah Anwar, deputy president of Anwar’s People’s Justice Party, said in a statement, as quoted by SCMP.

A separate report centred on Anwar’s response. Asked about Balakrishnan’s remarks, the prime minister said Malaysia’s diplomatic approach is guided by its own sovereign principles. “That is Singapore’s view. That is their affair. Our business is that we maintain good relations while taking a firm stand,” he told reporters. “We cannot discuss Iran’s response without also speaking about the cruel and barbaric attacks by Israel against Iran, supported by the United States.”

The Post’s coverage also included a wider geopolitical analysis, describing Tehran’s decision to let Malaysia-linked vessels through as evidence of Iran’s growing use of access to the strategic waterway as leverage. That report noted Iran’s embassy in Kuala Lumpur made the political messaging explicit, saying in a social media post that the Islamic Republic “does not forget its friends” after the first Malaysian-bound vessel passed through the strait.

Key claims

• Singapore will not negotiate with Iran over safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
• Balakrishnan said transit through international waterways is a right under international law, not a privilege, according to SCMP.
• The right of transit passage is codified in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), which Singapore has signed, per SCMP’s report.
• Malaysia was granted toll-free passage by Iran for its vessels, a decision credited by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to Malaysia’s diplomatic ties, according to SCMP.
• Malaysian politicians, including Nurul Izzah Anwar, criticized Singapore’s stance as lecturing and risking the region’s commitment to independent, balanced diplomacy, per SCMP.
• Anwar reaffirmed Malaysia’s independent foreign policy, saying the country maintains good relations with neighbours while taking a firm stand, according to SCMP.
• Analysts told SCMP that Iran is increasingly using access to the Strait of Hormuz as leverage, with passage determined by political ties rather than treated as a neutral commercial right.

Perspectives

Singapore (legal/international-law view)

Singapore frames the issue through the lens of international law: transit through straits used for international navigation is a right under Unclos, and negotiating or paying tolls would undermine that principle. Balakrishnan has also warned that the Middle East situation is a “dry run” for potential superpower confrontation in the Pacific, and reminded Washington of its substantial economic stake in Southeast Asia.

Malaysia (sovereign diplomacy view)

Malaysia sees its approach as pragmatic and independent, rooted in active engagement with Iran. Anwar and his coalition allies reject external criticism, insisting that Malaysia’s foreign policy follows its own sovereign principles. They also link Iran’s actions to Israeli and US military strikes, arguing that any discussion of the strait must account for the broader conflict.

Iran (leverage-based strategy)

From Teheran’s perspective, access to the Strait of Hormuz functions as a political tool. By granting passage to friendly nations like Malaysia while restricting others, Iran rewards diplomatic ties and signals the consequences of alignment against it. Analysts suggest this selective access model reflects a broader shift away from the strait as a neutral commercial corridor.