Raising eyebrows: Part of the reclaimed land on the Straits of Johor.
PETALING JAYA: The Federal Government has assured its counterparts in Singapore that it remains committed to international law amid concerns over possible massive land reclamation work in southern Johor.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman said Malaysia has been engaging Singapore on this issue through the Malaysia-Singapore Joint Committee on the Environment (MSJCE).
"The Government of Malaysia remains committed to fulfilling its obligations under the general principles of international law and in particular, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea," he said on Tuesday.
He added the Government takes cognisance of the provisions of the 2005 Settlement Agreement between Malaysia and Singapore for the exchange of information and discussions on matters affecting the environment of the two countries over the Straits of Johor.
It was reported on Saturday that a project called Forest City would see massive land reclamation work near the Second Link and this has raised eyebrows across the Causeway.
The project is said to involve several connected islands with a total land size of about 2,000ha - bigger than Pangkor island - which could have potential transboundary effects.
Hanifah said the Federal Government, led by the Department of Environment (DOE), is having a close consultation with the Johor state government and project developers.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry and other relevant agencies are also engaged in the consultation.
The MSJCE is co-chaired by the DOE’s Director-General and the Chief Executive of the National Environment Agency of Singapore.
Singapore started voicing its concern after a report appeared in The Star in March on the project by China's Country Garden Holdings Co Ltd and Kumpulan Prasarana Rakyat Johor.
The project will involve land reclamation to build luxury homes on man-made islands off Pendas in southern Johor.
