Malaysia and Singapore to sign agreement on reclamation work

BY JANE RITIKOS AND M. KRISHNAMOORTHY

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia and Singapore willsign a Settlement Agreement tomorrow, bringing an end to the dispute over the republic's land reclamation in the Straits of Johor. 

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albarsaid that following the signing of the agreement in Singapore, Malaysia would withdraw its case against its neighbour at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) and Singapore would make adjustments to the reclamation work. 

“Malaysia will withdraw its case and Singapore has agreed to certain things, including the ecological and environmental aspects (of the reclamation). 

“Singapore will make some adjustments to thework being carried out and has agreed that there must be a consultation mechanism for both countries,” he said when contacted in Jakarta yesterday. 

The agreement will be signed by Foreign Ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Ahmad FuziAbd Razak and Singapore’s Ambassador-at-LargeProf Tommy Koh. 

Ahmad Fuzi was the agent of the Malaysian Government and Prof Koh the agent of theSingapore Government during the ITLOS hearingin September 2003. 

Syed Hamid, who was in Jakarta to attend theAsia-Africa Summit with Prime Minister DatukSeri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, said the agreement would be presented to ITLOS as part of the consent judgment by both countries. 

On Malaysia's contention that the reclamation would affect the disputed maritime boundary south of Tuas, known as Point 20, Syed Hamid said both parties agreed for this issue to be negotiated separately and in accordance with international laws. 

“We will be looking at it from purely discussions to find an amicable resolution. If we cannot find a resolution, we will actaccording to international laws,” he said. 

The dispute between both countries arose in December 2002, when Singapore began reclamation activities along the eastern and western parts of the Straits of Johor near the Malaysian mainland. 

The republic’s reclamation work, involving 5,214ha of sea area and expected to be completed in 2010, would lengthen the headland in Tuas by 7km and double the size of Pulau Tekong. 

Malaysia referred the dispute to the ITLOS, which on Oct 8, 2003 directed both countries to conduct a joint study and propose mitigating measures. 

The tribunal also directed Singapore not to conduct land reclamation that may causeirreparable damage to Malaysia’s interests or serious harm to the marine environment. 

In January this year, both parties agreed to settle their dispute over the reclamation inwhat negotiators from both countries described as a “fair and balanced” deal. 

In a joint statement, both governments had said they had agreed to use recommendationsby an independent group of experts as “the basis of a mutually acceptable and beneficialsolution.” 

The breakthrough deal was brokered between officials of both sides after two rounds ofmeetings – in December last year in Singapore and in mid-January in the Netherlands.