Transport Minister Anthony Loke said today Malaysia and Singapore should be allowed to negotiate on the issue of the proposed Instrumental Landing System (ILS) approach to the republic’s Seletar Airport.

He said the technical experts of the two countries are scheduled to meet next month on the matter.

Loke said Malaysia had made its point and come up with a video to explain the position, which he added "is very clear."

“I think it is enough said for this issue. Let the two sides sit down to negotiate on the issue,” he said when met by reporters after launching the “Happy Guest, Caring Hosts Service Culture" and “Senior Citizens and Family-Friendly” facilities at KL International Airport 2 (KLIA2) here.

Malaysia protested against the new ILS runway approach protocol at Seletar Airport announced by Singapore, which is due to come into force on Jan 3, claiming that the use of the protocol will have landing aircraft encroach into Malaysian airspace.

The ILS procedure refers to an assisted navigational aviation facility at the airport which provides vertical and horizontal guidance to pilots while a flight is descending and approaching the runway.

The Transport Ministry, in a statement yesterday, said it viewed Singapore’s unilateral move to publish the new ILS procedure for Seletar Airport in the Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) as a clear violation of Malaysia’s sovereignty and international standards.

It said that at no time did the Civil Aviation Authority Malaysia (CAAM) agree or give its approval for the publication of the new ILS procedure for the airport.

It also said that the tension between Malaysia and Singapore can be avoided by implementing the new ILS procedure for Runaway 03 on the southern side of Seletar Airport as opposed to Runaway 21 on the northern side.

In response, the Singapore Ministry of Transport said it would need to put in place instrument flight procedures for both the northerly and southerly approaches into Seletar Airport because “flight procedures for both directions are necessary because aircraft land and take off into the wind”.

- Bernama