Transmenu powered by JoomlArt.com - Mambo Joomla Professional Templates Club

©Today Online, Singapore (Used by permission)

TWO months after being awarded its claim over Pedra Branca, Singapore is going ahead to claim an Exclusive Economic Zone around the island.
.
Dr Balaji Sadasivan, Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, told Parliament the “precise coordinates” would be announced at an appropriate time. According to the United Nations Convention on the Law Of the Sea (Unclos), a state can claim an Exclusive Economic Zone up to 200 nautical miles from its lands and islands, and up to 12 nautical miles of territorial sea.
.
If disputes arise with neighbouring countries, Singapore “will negotiate ... with the view to arriving at agreed delimitations in accordance with international laws”, he added.
.
Dr Balaji also expressed confidence that the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) judgement would not be overturned even if Malaysia produced a letter which the latter claims would prove the islet belonged to it. The letter was penned in :1844 by the British Governor of the time, William T Butterworth, seeking permission from the Temenggong and Sultan of Johor to build a lighthouse on Pedra Branca.
.
Last month, Malaysian Foreign Minister Rais Yatim said he had ordered the letter tracked down so that Malaysia could appeal the ICJ’s ruling. Said Dr Sadasivan: “In our view, it is unlikely to make a difference to the Court’s judgement because it has already ruled that Johor had original title over Pedra Branca.” Nazry Bahrawi

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed