| Summary: | In 2018–2019, Malaysia and Singapore were embroiled in a dispute over the southern Johor airspace, one of the world's busiest air routes. The Malaysian government objected to the instrument landing system procedures for Seletar Airport, newly implemented by Singapore, citing violations of its sovereignty and international law principles. Under Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's leadership, Malaysia unilaterally closed the southern Johor airspace and demanded to regain control over it. This study employs an interdisciplinary approach to international legal studies to examine the Malaysia–Singapore airspace dispute in the southern Johor region, analyzing it within the context of international law and relations, and evaluating both its legal and political aspects. Upon reviewing international legal materials related to the dispute, the study finds that the conflict over southern Johor airspace is not fundamentally legal in nature; instead, it is predominantly political, driven by the change in leadership in Putrajaya, which intensified the aerial conflict between the two countries.
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