Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has described recent comments made by Indonesia's Maritime and Fisheries Minister Freddy Numberi as contradictory and "puzzling".

A Jakarta Post report on Saturday had quoted him as saying that Indonesian banned sand exports "because we wanted it to have a larger economic value and we also want to settle our border disputes with Singapore".

Such comments, said the MFA in a statement on Sunday, "clearly contradict categorical assurances we had received in public as well as in private from Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda that there was no linkage between the ban on the export of land sand and bilateral issues.

"Uncertainty over who speaks for Indonesia is not helpful. MFA will therefore ask the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore to urgently clarify whether Minister Numberi's comments represent the official policy of the Indonesian Government."

Meanwhile, relations with Thailand and Indonesia will come up for discussion on Monday when Parliament debates the expenditure estimates for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with Foreign Minister George Yeo to speak in more detail.

"Although we have some problems, I believe they can be managed," Mr Yeo had said on Saturday night at his Aljunied GRC's Lunar New Year event.

Also on Saturday, National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan revealed in Parliament that Mr Yeo and Trade and Industry Minister Lim Hng Khiang had asked their Indonesian counterparts to clarify why granite supply had been disrupted. In the past week, the Indonesian authorities have stepped up checks and detained some barges carrying granite materials to Singapore.

Indonesia has responded by saying that there is no ban on granite, said Mr Mah. The Singapore Government is watching the situation closely and will take the necessary measures to prevent disruption to construction activities, he added. TODAY/rose