PUBLISHED ONApril 08, 2026 7:33 AMBYSean LerSingapore will not engage in negotiations for safe passage of ships or on toll rates because it goes against the right of transit passage set out in international law, said Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan on Tuesday (April 7).
He was responding to a parliamentary question by MP Fadli Fawzi (Aljunied GRC), who had asked if the Government is engaging the Iranian authorities to secure transit through the Strait of Hormuz for Singapore-flagged vessels.
The MP cited the example of Malaysia, which recently confirmed that one of its seven commercial vessels has safely transited the waterway following high-level diplomatic engagements, including telephone conversations between Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Fadli also asked if Singapore will be open to paying a toll to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
Dr Balakrishnan reminded the House that the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) provides for the right of transit passage, which is not a privilege to be granted by the bordering state.
"It is not a licence to be supplicated for, it is not a toll to be paid. It is a right of ships to traverse," he explained, adding that Singapore ratified the 1982 convention in November 1994.
Citing Article 44 of the convention, which provides that states bordering straits "shall not hamper transit passage", and Article 45, which states that there "shall be no suspension of innocent passage through such straits", Dr Balakrishnan reiterated Singapore's position that this right is part of customary international law.
In Parliament on Tuesday (April 7), Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan explained why it is important for Singapore to uphold the principle of right of transit passage, and not engage in negotiations on toll payment or safe passage for ships transiting through the Strait of Hormuz. #sgnews #Singapore #Parliament #MiddleEast #War #Shipping #Maritime
He went on to illustrate why the principled approach matters for Singapore.
"You may be wondering why I am taking such a legal and strict definition. It is not because I am particularly obsessed with law, but because the Strait of Malacca and Singapore is, in fact, another critical chokepoint," he said.
He pointed out that more maritime oil — crude and refined — flows through the Strait of Malacca and Singapore than even the Strait of Hormuz.
"If you think about the global trade, container trader, there is far more flowing through this place," Dr Balakrishnan added.
Data from the United States Energy Information and Administration (EIA) shows that since 2020, the Strait of Malacca has consistently moved the highest volume of crude oil and petroleum liquids through it, with the Strait of Hormuz ranking second.
AsiaOne notes that for the purpose of its report, the EIA had conveniently grouped both the Strait of Malacca and Strait of Singapore as a single contiguous strait.
In the first half of 2025, 23.2 million barrels of crude oil and petroleum liquids moved through the Strait of Malacca daily, while the Strait of Hormuz moved 20.9 million.
The foreign minister also highlighted that the narrowest point in the Strait of Malacca and Singapore is less than 2 nautical miles, while it is 21 nautical miles at the Strait of Hormuz.
"Do you understand now why we have to take a categorical position that international law and UNCLOS is the constitution of the oceans and that is a right?" he said.
"Transit passage is a right and not a privilege for ships and planes, and this is of profound importance to Singapore."
Meanwhile, agencies such as the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore remain in close contact with ship owners, as well as operators of Singapore-flagged ships in the Persian Gulf.
They are also engaging with stakeholders to explore potential opportunities to facilitate safe transit of the ships.
This includes engaging the International Maritime Organisation and other member states on the potential establishment of a safe maritime corridor.
In closing, Dr Balakrishnan warned of a "more violent and more volatile" world, noting that there is a price to be paid.
"It is not enough to be an oasis of safety, security, cohesion, wealth, and even having the military ability to protect ourselves. Because if our region is aflame, and with war and missiles flying, no oasis is safe," he added.
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