syed emir izham

I suspect the real reason for Singapore's opposition to a toll on Hormuz is not some high-minded devotion to international law, but because if it's set as a precedent and a toll were to exist on the Strait of Malacca, it would basically kill their current business model. See, geographically speaking, Malacca runs primarily between Malaysia and Indonesia - Singapore only controls a small stretch at the southeastern exit. Yet currently they capture most of the strait's commercial value through port services, bunkering, and transshipment: it's basically like them having the best "service station" on the world's most popular free highway. What the Hormuz precedent - if established - is all about is the revenge of geography: power given back to the countries that own the road, as opposed to those with the best rest-stop. Fantastic news for Malaysia and Indonesia (which is partly why you're seeing key Malaysian political figures, like Nurul Izzah Anwar, issue a highly unusual rebuke of Singapore over Balakrishnan’s remarks: teapawt.net/amerhadiazmi/status/20…), but a big threat to a city-state whose entire economy is built on being the best service provider on what's largely someone else's waterway.