Malacca States Vow to Keep Asia’s Busiest Shipping Route Open

The three Southeast Asian states of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore have pledged to safeguard the world's busiest shipping lane, the Strait of Malacca, amid the ongoing crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a joint statement on Tuesday. The three nations reaffirmed their "shared commitment to keep the Straits open and safe for international shipping."

The Strait of Malacca serves as the shortest route from the Middle East to Asia and is crucial for the transportation of commodities, including crude oil and refined petroleum products. The region has been closely monitored since Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz at the end of February, trapping millions of barrels of oil in the Persian Gulf.

In a statement, the Littoral States of the Straits of Malacca (SOMS) emphasized that the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) are a "Strait Used for International Navigation, where the right of transit passage applies, as enshrined in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and reflected in customary international law."

The countries also stressed the importance of all stakeholders respecting "navigational rights and freedoms both in principle and practice." According to Jeffrey Siow, Singapore's Transport Minister, who spoke at an Indonesia-Malaysia-Singapore forum, "Events in the Middle East this year reminded the world that open sea lanes can never be taken for granted."

Traffic at the Strait of Hormuz has plummeted to less than a tenth of pre-war levels, with exact figures difficult to determine due to continued secrecy from tankers to avoid detection and to avoid becoming targets of attacks. Siow reaffirmed the commitment of his country "to keep the Straits of Malacca and Singapore free, open and safe for international shipping."