PULAU BATU PUTIH AND TERRITIORIAL WATERS
Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad
at July 31, 2008 1:18 PM
1. We had expected the International Court of Justice to declare that Pulau Batu Putih is ours, together with South Ledge and Middle Rocks.
2. But the decision of the Court left me flabbergasted. On the one hand Pulau Batu Putih which is nearer Malaysia and very much farther from Singapore is awarded to Singapore while the two rocks which are part of the same shoal and further away from Malaysia than Pulau Batu Putih are awarded to Malaysia.
3. No decision was made as to the marine boundary. It must be assumed that the shoals are in Malaysian territorial waters, since the decision to give Pulau Batu Putih to Singapore is based on some obscure letter written by a minor Johor official while under British rule to a British official in Singapore. Rightly it should have been sanctioned and written under the authority of the Sultan in Council.
4. In any case the sea between Pulau Batu Putih and the two rocks had not been raised by Singapore at the International Court. Its claim was only on Pulau Batu Putih and the Court had awarded the "Pulau" to Singapore. The sea is a different matter.
5. The claim by Singapore that the sea belongs to Singapore is simply because the present Malaysian Government has always been ready to entertain any claim by Singapore no matter how ridiculous it may be. Thus the Malaysian Government has agreed that it has no right to touch the Causeway even on its side of the Strait of Tebrau unless it obtains the permission of the Singapore Government.
6. The first reaction against Singapore's new claim came from the Malaysian Foreign Minister. There is no certainty that the Prime Minister might not reverse the stand taken by his Foreign Minister.
7. We have seen this before. When the Deputy Prime Minister said publicly that we would go ahead with the scenic bridge, he was made to look silly a few days later when the Prime Minister said we will not build the bridge at all, neither straight nor crooked.
8. To emphasise his ever-willing submission to Singapore, the Prime Minister ordered the Foreign Minister to inform the Minister Mentor of Singapore that Malaysia will not build any bridge. Why we have to inform Singapore about our decision is something I just cannot understand.
9. In the South China Sea we built an island out of Terumbu (reef) Layang Layang. From the picture I see of the two rocks retained by us, it is entirely possible for them to be reclaimed and joined together. We could then have a proper island there just as Singapore had built up Pulau Batu Putih to accommodate security personnel.
10. There is nothing in any agreement with Singapore or in the decision of the International Court to prevent us from doing this. The decision is entirely ours to make.
11. I will not make a guess as to what will happen.
kzso - same here... i too will not make a guess as to what will happen
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