UMNO Youth Condemns Singapore PM's Statement Over Pulau Batu Puteh




KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 20 (Bernama) -- UMNO Youth today strongly condemned a statement by Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong over Malaysia's application to revise the judgement of the International Court of Justice on Pulau Batu Puteh.

Its chief, Khairy Jamaluddin, said Lee's allegation that Malaysia made the move in view of the approaching general election was an irresponsible accusation that could ruin the good relations between Malaysia and Singapore.

He said Malaysia, as a sovereign state, filed the application on Feb 2 based on the finding of new facts through three documents in the National Archives of the United Kingdom on Aug 4 last year.

"The decision to file the application within six months after the discovery of new facts is as per the right granted to and respected by Malaysia.

"This application and the second made on June 30 for the interpretation of the judgement were not done without sound basis," he said in a statement in response to Lee's statement.

Khairy said that when the new facts were found in Aug 2016, there was no announcement of a general election.

The application was filed on Feb 2 this year to provide time for the preparation of the documents within the six months, he explained.

He said the Malaysian parliament had yet to be dissolved (for the election) up to today, more than a year from the discovery of the new facts.

"It is easy to gain political mileage by making allegations against another country as was done by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong through his statement that was made during the PAP party convention.

"However, unlike him, Malaysia regards seriously the issue of sovereignty at all times and not merely to garner support during an election or political convention," he said.

In its judgement in 2008, the ICJ found that sovereignty over Pulau Batu Puteh belonged to Singapore and that sovereignty over Middle Rocks belonged to Malaysia. The Court refrained from awarding South Ledge to either country, ruling that sovereignty over the low-tide elevation belongs to the state in whose territorial waters it is located.

-- BERNAMA