“It is their view and their business. Ours is to maintain good relations,” he told reporters after Friday prayers at Kampung Cheras Baru in Pandan here.

On Tuesday, Singapore’s foreign minister, Vivian Balakrishnan, said they would not engage in negotiations with Iran for safe passage of ships or a toll rate on the Strait of Hormuz, in line with its principle of not taking sides.

Balakrishnan said Singapore was of the view that passage through the strait is a right for all nations, enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and not a privilege to be granted by its bordering states.

Yesterday, PKR deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar said Balakrishnan’s remarks were both “revealing and regrettable”.

Nurul Izzah said his remarks reflected a narrow strategic posture that prioritised alignment over regional responsibility and international law.

Anwar said Malaysia has its own stance on the matter.

“We cannot discuss Iran’s response, including any move to close the strait, without discussing Israel’s attack on Iran that was backed by the US.

“Our foreign policy is clear. But we must also manage our relationship with our neighbours,” he said.

Passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic chokepoint through which about 20% of the world’s crude oil and gas transit, has been severely disrupted following continuous US and Israeli attacks on Iran’s territory and facilities since Feb 28.

While Iran has not officially blocked the waterway, it said it would only allow vessels from “non-hostile” nations to transit the strait.

Besides Malaysia, countries such as Pakistan, India and the Philippines have sought or coordinated safe passage arrangements through the strait with Iran.