KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 23 — Singapore has agreed to temporarily halt all development and reclamation plans near Batu Puteh, said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir today.
This was because of the Malaysian government’s consistent objections both verbal and written towards such activities, he said during his winding-up speech at Parliament this afternoon.
“Singapore has agreed to temporarily stop plans of development and reclamation activities at Batu Puteh,” he said.
Discussions between both countries about Singapore’s unilateral development at Batu Puteh have also begun, he added.
Besides that, he said that the maritime feature has been identified as rocks and did not fit the definition of an island according to the terms of Article 1 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea adopted in 1982.
The government and its relevant agencies are kept abreast of current events and are studying if any action can be taken on the Batu Puteh case based on available avenues including international law and bilateral diplomatic relations, he said.
“Malaysia, as a responsible country and with the opinion that it must hold to its principles, believes the issue must be resolved through diplomacy and in good faith,” he said.
He expressed his hope that Singapore will hold to the same beliefs and not take any action that reflects bad faith.
His ministry will continue its discussion with the neighbouring country to ensure the country’s sovereignty and national interests, he said.
Last month, national news agency Bernama reported Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as urging Singapore to examine the reclamations carried out in the Batu Puteh area to ensure they were not affecting the environment and the country’s borders with Malaysia.
In 2008, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Batu Puteh belonged to Singapore, while sovereignty over the nearby Middle Rocks was awarded to Malaysia.
The maritime dispute was originally taken to the ICJ by Malaysia and Singapore in 2003.
