THE HAGUE: Singapore’s claim that Pulau Batu Puteh was terra nullus (No Man’s Land) when Britain took possession of it in 1847 is fundamentally flawed, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) here heard on Thursday.
Malaysia’s counsel, Sir Elihu Lauterpacht, said there was no basis on which Britain could, then or at any other time, acquire title to an island that could only be obtained with the consent of the local sovereign.
