Malaysia:Singapore’s intention of what it wants to do on Pulau Batu Puteh is questionable.

This is the second week of the hearing over the sovereignty of Pedra Branca and its two outcrops of Middle Rocks and South Ledge between Singapore and Malaysia.

Malaysia started Day One of its four-day presentation by accusing Singapore of “disrupting the long established arrangements” in the Straits. Following are the highlights of Malaysia’s argument before the panel of judges.

1) Singapore, through its actions, wants to radically change the basis on how it acquired the Horsburgh Lighthouse on the island, as well as the character of Singapore’s presence on the island

2) Singapore is endeavouring to create for itself a maritime domain which is a far cry from the basis of its presence on Pulau Batu Puteh as lighthouse administrator.

3) Singapore’s presence on Pulau Batu Puteh, as lighthouse operator, never extended to issues concerning the territorial waters or the continental shaft around Pulau Batu Puteh

4) Singapore had, in the 1970s, considered reclamation plans for Pedra Branca. That point got Mr Abdul Kadir( Malaysia’s Ambassador-at-Large and Foreign Affairs Adviser to the Prime Minister) asking why Singapore needed a bigger island. “In fact, the aggressive methods Singapore has used to assert its claims to Pulau Batu Puteh have already led to regrettable, although not irreversible, changes to the stable conditions in the area.”

5) Malaysia always had ownership of the disputed island and its outcrops, and that events after 1851 should be considered irrelevant to this case.

6) Pulau Batu Puteh ( Pedra branca’s name in Malay ), Middle Rocks and South Ledge are among the many maritime features that have always formed part of Johor.

7) Pulau Batu Puteh and its surrounding waters, far from being unknown and unused, have always been used by local Malay peoples as subjects of the Sultanate of Johor and residents of the state of Johor.

8 ) Malaysia’s Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail said Singapore, till today, has never been able to produce legal evidence in the form of documents to show ownership of the disputed island.

9) Singapore only lodged a formal protest with Malaysia over the ownership of the island on February 14, 1980. So whatever Singapore did after that,not a normal continuation of its prior acts of administration of the lighthouse.

10) British fired a 21-gun salute on Singapore-owned islands like Pulau Ubin to formalise its claim. But Malaysia questioned why Singapore did not do the same for Pulau Batu Puteh.

The malaysians will start their second day of arguments today.

see also: History of Pedra Branca
Map of Pedra Branca

Information from ChannelNewsAsia