KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 14 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has asked Attorney General Tan Sri Idrus Harun for an explanation about the Pulau Batu Puteh controversy so he can initiate discussions with Singapore.
Anwar told a news conference in Putrajaya today that his government will review the issue so that a more meaningful negotiation can be held with Singapore.
“Then we asked the AG to give an explanation over the controversial claims of Batu Puteh that has been moved to Singapore by the International Court of Justice.
“Its side effects will also be reviewed and studied so that a more meaningful and immediate discussion can be held with Singapore so that no issues will arise between two friendly countries,” he said this afternoon.
The news conference was also live-streamed on Anwar’s Facebook page.
In 2008, the ICJ in the Hague ruled that Pulau Batu Puteh belongs to Singapore. The republic calls it Pedra Branca.
The maritime dispute was originally taken to the ICJ by Malaysia and Singapore in 2003.
“Beyond Malaysia, the legal implication here would be that Singapore will be able to claim territorial water around Batu Puteh, which under international law is upwards of 12 nautical miles,” said Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said in a letter published by Malay Mail in October this year.
But she also noted that geographically, Pulau Batu Puteh is closer to Malaysia than Singapore: it is “approximately 7.7 nautical miles, (14km) south of Tanjung Penyusup, Johor and 25 nautical miles (44km) east of Singapore”.
The Pengerang MP is also now the law and institutional reform minister in the Anwar Cabinet.
Azalina had said the ICJ decision holds implications related to national security as many have suggested that Singapore intends to use the location as a military outpost of some sort due to the presence of a lighthouse, a helipad, a desalination plant, and a military rebroadcast station on Pulau Batu Puteh.
Besides that, she said that the livelihood of fishermen in Pengerang have been affected as they can no longer fish in the area.
However, the ICJ decision can no longer be challenged due to Article 61(5) of the ICJ Statute which states that “No application for revision may be made after the lapse of ten years from the date of the judgment.”
National news wire Bernama reported on October 9 that a previous special task force to review laws relating to sovereignty over Pulau Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks, and South Ledge had presented its final report to the Cabinet then led by Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
Former de facto law minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar was also reported saying back then that the government will implement several measures it had studied and finalised in connection with the issue.
